Overview
ISO 37101:2016/Amd 1:2024 amends the international standard ISO 37101:2016 - Sustainable development in communities - Management system for sustainable development - Requirements with guidance for use. The 2024 Amendment 1 focuses on climate action changes, integrating climate considerations into community-level sustainability management systems. It updates requirements related to the context of the organization and interested parties to ensure climate change is explicitly considered where relevant.
Key Topics
- Scope and purpose: Reinforces ISO 37101’s role as a management system standard for sustainable development in communities, providing requirements and guidance for use.
- Climate relevance requirement: Amendment 1 adds a clear requirement that the organization shall determine whether climate change is a relevant issue (subclause 4.1).
- Stakeholder requirements on climate: Adds a note that relevant interested parties can have requirements related to climate change (subclause 4.2).
- Management-system approach: Continues to support a systems-based approach for policy, planning, implementation, monitoring and continual improvement for community sustainability (consistent with the standard’s title and intent).
- Guidance for use: Provides interpretative guidance to help communities align sustainability management with climate action priorities.
Applications and Who Uses It
This amendment is practical for organizations implementing or maintaining a community-level sustainability management system, including:
- Municipal governments and city councils integrating climate risk and mitigation into planning and services.
- Local authorities and public agencies aligning policies with climate-related stakeholder expectations.
- Community development organizations and NGOs that manage programs on resilience, adaptation and emissions reduction.
- Urban planners and sustainability managers seeking to embed climate considerations into governance, procurement and service delivery.
Practical uses include informing climate action planning, stakeholder engagement processes, risk assessments, policy alignment and reporting within a formal management-system framework.
Benefits
- Ensures climate change is explicitly assessed as part of community sustainability planning.
- Clarifies that stakeholder requirements may include climate-related expectations, improving accountability and transparency.
- Helps communities align sustainability management with evolving climate priorities and regulatory landscapes.
Related Standards
- ISO 37101 (base standard) - Management system for sustainable development in communities
- ISO/TC 268 outputs and related city sustainability standards (for indicators and metrics)
- ISO 14001 (environmental management) - for organizations aligning environmental and climate management efforts
Keywords: ISO 37101:2016/Amd 1:2024, sustainable development in communities, management system, climate action, climate change, stakeholder requirements, municipal sustainability, city resilience.
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