As the world grapples with the intensifying impact of climate change, organisations are coming under increasing pressure to play their part in addressing the threats of a rapidly changing environment. While efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change are critical, the reality is that climate change is already here, affecting operations, supply chains, infrastructure, and communities worldwide.
In February 2024, ISO passed a resolution that saw the publication of two Climate Action-related Amendments to existing ISO Management Systems Standards. The amendments, added to Type A standards, highlight the importance of climate change as a relevant issue in the design and implementation of management systems. We wrote an article about the amendments which you can read here.
In addition to the amendments discussed above, there is a standard, ISO 14090: 2019 – Adaptation to Climate Change – Principles, requirements and guidelines, that provides organisations with a consistent, structured, and pragmatic approach to prevent or minimise the effects of climate change. Applying the approach outlined in ISO 14090 can give organisations a clear framework to help them effectively manage the risks and seize the opportunities that climate change presents.
The Need for Climate Adaptation
The Paris Agreement, which came into force in 2016, set a global goal to limit the rise in temperatures and strengthen climate resilience. Together with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the agreement underscores the need for mitigation and adaptation of climate impacts. Climate adaptation includes managing physical risks, such as extreme weather events, and less obvious challenges, such as social, financial, regulatory, and reputational impacts.
ISO 14090 provides a structured framework to help organisations develop strategies to adapt to these diverse risks. It enables organisations to take a proactive, strategic approach to climate adaptation by integrating adaptation efforts into everyday operations, governance, and decision-making processes. The standard offers a roadmap for prioritising adaptation actions while aligning them with broader organisational goals like sustainability.
ISO 14090: A Framework for Resilience and Reporting
ISO 14090 provides a comprehensive and adaptable framework that helps organisations at all stages of their climate adaptation journey. Its approach is iterative and supports continual learning, making it suitable for organisations of any size and from any sector. The key components of ISO 14090’s structure include pre-planning, assessing impacts, adaptation planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and communication.
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Pre-planning
Before embarking on climate adaptation, organisations need to understand the scope of their vulnerabilities and opportunities. Pre-planning involves gathering data, engaging stakeholders, and defining the adaptation goals that will guide the rest of the process.
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Assessing Impacts
ISO 14090 guides organisations in evaluating the potential impacts of climate change on their operations, products, and services. These impacts could be direct, such as damage to infrastructure due to extreme weather, or indirect, like regulatory changes or shifts in market conditions. Assessing risks and opportunities is crucial for developing tailored adaptation strategies. Often, organisations will combine this with other emerging Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) topics like modern slavery and emissions reporting.
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Adaptation Planning
With a clear understanding of the risks and opportunities, organisations can begin to develop detailed adaptation plans. These plans should prioritise actions based on urgency, resource availability, and potential benefits. Importantly, the planning phase ensures that adaptation is integrated with other sustainability and ESG efforts, and that it aligns with long-term organisational goals.
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Implementation
Effective adaptation requires embedding the actions into organisational processes and systems. This phase involves allocating resources, assigning responsibilities, and ensuring staff and stakeholders are prepared to implement the plan. ISO 14090 emphasises the integration of adaptation with broader sustainability initiatives, including those focused on reducing carbon footprints and improving resource efficiency.
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Monitoring and Improvement
Climate adaptation is not a one-time event but a continual process. ISO 14090 encourages organisations to monitor their adaptation actions to ensure effectiveness. This iterative approach allows organisations to refine their strategies as they learn from the outcomes and adapt to new challenges or opportunities that arise over time.
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Reporting
Transparent and verifiable reporting is a key component of ISO 14090. By documenting adaptation activities and progress, organisations can demonstrate to stakeholders, including investors, customers, regulators, and partners—that they are serious about managing climate risks. This enhances the credibility of the organisation’s climate adaptation efforts and supports informed decision-making. ISO 14090 provides guidance on how to report adaptation actions in a verifiable way, which can be particularly beneficial when communicating with external parties such as insurers or financiers who are assessing an organisation’s risk profile.
Reporting also helps organisations assess their progress internally, creating benchmarks for future improvements. It ensures accountability and enables tracking of key performance indicators related to climate adaptation.
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Communication
Effective communication is essential for building awareness and support for climate adaptation initiatives. ISO 14090 encourages organisations to develop communication strategies that engage stakeholders—both internal (e.g., employees, management) and external (e.g., customers, investors, regulatory bodies). Clear communication around climate adaptation helps to align the organisation’s actions with the expectations of its stakeholders and reinforces its commitment to resilience.
By integrating climate adaptation into its overall strategy, an organisation can build trust and reputation in a world where stakeholders increasingly prioritise sustainability. Whether it’s through annual reports, sustainability disclosures, or targeted communications to specific groups, transparent and proactive communication ensures that stakeholders understand the organisation’s commitment to long-term climate resilience.
The Role of ISO 14090 in Climate Leadership
Implementing ISO 14090 can significantly enhance an organisation’s resilience to climate change, while also offering a verifiable way to report on adaptation actions. It not only helps organisations safeguard against climate risks but also identifies potential opportunities that might emerge as the global economy shifts toward sustainability. Furthermore, adhering to ISO 14090 demonstrates a proactive, credible commitment to adaptation, which can enhance an organisation’s reputation and stakeholder confidence.
ISO 14090’s approach complements other international standards, including ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 50001 for energy management, ensuring that organisations can create a holistic strategy for sustainability. Together, these standards enable organisations to address both mitigation and adaptation, fostering resilience while also contributing to the global efforts to curb emissions.
Conclusion
On World Standards Day, it is important to recognise the critical role that standards like ISO 14090 plays in helping organisations adapt to the realities of climate change. As businesses face growing environmental uncertainty, adopting ISO 14090 provides them with a robust framework for addressing climate risks, planning effective adaptation strategies, and communicating their actions transparently to stakeholders.
Climate adaptation is no longer an option but a necessity for organisations that wish to thrive in a rapidly changing world. With ISO 14090, organisations have the tools they need to navigate these challenges, building resilience while contributing to a more sustainable future. By embracing adaptation today, organisations are not only protecting their assets and operations but also ensuring their long-term success in a climate-impacted world.
