What is ISO 37101 about?
ISO 37101 establishes requirements for a management system for sustainable development in communities, including cities, using a holistic approach, to ensure consistency with the sustainable development policy of communities.
The intended outcomes of a management system for sustainable development in communities include:
- Managing sustainability and fostering smartness and resilience in communities, while considering the territorial boundaries to which it applies
- Improving the contribution of communities to sustainable development outcomes
- Assessing the performance of communities in progressing towards sustainable development
- Outcomes and the level of smartness and resilience that they have achieved
- Fulfilling compliance obligations.
Note 1: Cities have become essential actors for sustainable development at local, national, and international levels over the last century, due to the pressure of unprecedented urbanization.
Note 2: Smartness and resilience are embedded in the process of sustainable development: sustainable development is the overarching process, while smartness and resilience are characteristics.
Who is ISO 37101 for?
ISO 37101 on sustainable development in communities and management systems are useful for:
- Local government authorities
- Research and Development team
- Different types of communities
Why should you use ISO 37101?
ISO 37101 adopts a holistic approach to the establishment of the requirements of a management system for sustainable development in communities, including cities, and provides guidance aimed at:
- Improving the contribution of communities to sustainable development
- Fostering smartness and resilience in communities, while considering the territorial boundaries to which it applies
- Assessing the performance of communities in progressing towards sustainable development.
ISO 37101 provides requirements and guidance to help communities achieve a framework that will allow them to become more sustainable.
ISO 37101 is designed to empower communities and to build on local initiatives. ISO 37101 targets environmental, social, and economic issues, including improved community services and socio-economic benefits, as well as supporting clear purposes for sustainable development in communities and encouraging sound planning systems to achieve them.