What is ISO 37104 about?
ISO 37104 discusses UN SDGs sustainable cities and communities to transform our cities. ISO 37104 provides guidance on how to implement and maintain a management system for sustainable development based on ISO 37101 principles, specifically in the context of cities, but applicable to other forms of settlement. ISO 37101 is applicable to a range of types and scales of communities: cities, towns, villages, or other kinds of human settlements with defined boundaries.
ISO 37104:
- Provides guidance for practical implementation of a management system for sustainable development in cities and other settlements, based on ISO 37101
- Establishes a methodological framework for the systematic evaluation of the sustainable development schemes and achievements in the city or other settlements, based on the cross-analysis of the six purposes of sustainability and the 12 areas of action of ISO 37101
- Illustrates how other International Standards can be used to support the successful implementation of ISO 37101, including, in particular, ISO 37120 (which recommends a suite of city indicators mapped against the six purposes of ISO 37101) and ISO 37106 (that provides practical guidance on how to implement joined-up delivery and innovation across organizational boundaries within the city or settlement).
Note 1: In ISO 37101, the term “scheme” is used to cover strategies, programs, projects, plans, and services.
Note 2: The guidance can be used for city-wide strategies, but also, potentially, for some sector-specific schemes at a city level.
Note 3: In ISO 37101, the term “city” refers to cities, towns, villages, or other kind of human settlements with defined territorial boundaries and administrative authority.
Who is ISO 37104 for?
ISO 37104 on sustainable cities and communities is useful for:
- City councils
- Sustainability officers
- Smart city managers
- Compliance managers
- Policy advisors, NGOs, and consultants who plan the city’s long term sustainability agenda
Why should you use ISO 37104?
The unprecedented growth in urban population across the globe presents massive challenges to governments and their citizens. UN SDG 11b specifies that by 2020 cities should embark on integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, and resilience to disaster. Achieving these goals requires coordinated work by governments, the private sector, civil society, and citizens.
ISO 37101 refers to the SDGs: “When evaluating the contribution to achieve the six purposes of sustainability, taking into account the twelve sustainability areas of action, the organization shall consider the UN SDGs (in particular Goal 11), as well as their potential implementation in communities”.
ISO 37104 helps you apply the ISO 37101 to specific types of communities: cities, towns, villages, or other kinds of human settlements with territorial boundaries and administrative authority.
ISO 37104 sets out requirements and guidance to help create a sustainable future for communities, using methods and tools that include smartness and resilience. Thus, it helps city leaders to set and achieve their city's sustainable development agenda.
ISO 37104 gives you guidance for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving such a management system to enable local governments to follow a systematic approach to sustainable development.
ISO 37104 guides you organizing bodies, usually local governments, in their efforts to stimulate and coordinate sustainable development. ISO 37104 is primarily designed to assist with city-wide strategies. ISO 37104 helps cities to raise questions without necessarily providing standardized answers. It provides a common framework that facilitates exchange and communication.
