BSI, the business standards company, has published ISO 37101:2016, Sustainable development in communities. The standard has been developed to help city leaders set their city's sustainable development agenda.

Ensuring cities and communities are fit for the future is a key priority for many city leaders. Providing sustainable energy supplies, coping with environmental and climate changes, building and maintaining durable infrastructures and meeting the needs and expectations of citizens are just some of the considerations to be made.

The UK has already developed similar guidance in the shape of BS 8904:2011 Guidance for community sustainable development which is suited to local grass roots organizations, with this standard contributing towards the development of ISO 37101.

The international standard sets out requirements and guidance to attain sustainability with the support of methods and tools including smartness and resilience. It can help communities improve in a number of areas such as:

• Developing holistic and integrated approaches instead of working in silos (which can hinder sustainability)
• Fostering social and environmental changes through collaboration of all stakeholders in a community
• Improving health and wellbeing for citizens encouraging responsible resource use
• Achieving better governance to support cost effective investment decision

David Fatscher, Head of Market Development for Sustainability at BSI, said:

"Whilst previous guidance has enabled individuals to take control of their communities locally, from improving social and economic opportunities to protecting the local environment, this international standard takes a broader view."

"City leaders can be at the forefront of any decisions that impact their communities and now have the guidance they need to implement changes to benefit their environment in multiple ways.”

Some of the countries involved in the development of ISO 37101 include: Austria, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Sri Lanka and USA.

Outreach and liaison was also established with the Global City Indicators Facility and the United Nations Environment Programme. This included harmonizing work being done in ISO on city indicators and smart infrastructure.

ISO 37101 will be able to help city CEOs, sustainability officers, smart city managers and compliance managers, policy advisors, NGOs and consultants plan their city’s long term sustainability agenda.