Italy-UK Partnership

PARTNERSHIP | Fall 2020 10 What organizations should be doing now in response to climate change An analysis of the British Standards Institutions (BSI), member of the ICCIUK A growing number of organizations are now actively planning for the impacts of climate change. In response, a new British standard is providing an approach to climate change adaptation. this blog post examines what it has to say. There is now no doubt that the climate is changing. The extent of future climate change will depend on the effectiveness of efforts to limit further emissions of greenhouse gases. Notwithstanding, the impacts of climate change will still be with us for decades to come. As a result, organizations will have to understand the associated risks of climate change impacts and take action. Organizational impacts can be physical, financial, regulatory and reputational, and can be direct and indirect. Organizations of all sizes and types, all over the world, are focused on adaptation as a way to reduce the threats of climate change and identify any resulting opportunities. To support organizations, BSI and ISO have created BS EN ISO 14090 Adaptation to Climate Change – Principles, requirements and guidelines, the world’s first international standard on climate adaptation. DEVELOPING AND PRIORITIZING ADAPTATION ACTIONS BS EN ISO 14090 describes principles, requirements and guidelines for adaptation to climate change. These include integrating adaptation within or across organizations. The standard helps organisations to identify and understand impacts and uncertainties and how these can be used to inform decisions. And it helps them to report adaptation actions too. The standard can be used by any organization whose activities, products and services might be at risk from, or in some cases able to take advantage of, climate change. The document aims to help organizations prioritize and develop effective, efficient and deliverable adaptation plans tailored to the specific climate challenges they face. The approach enables organizations to consider adaptation when designing and implementing policies, strategies, plans, and actions. It sets out a consistent, structured and pragmatic approach to preventing or minimizing the harm that climate change could cause. A FLEXIBLE APPROACH To ensure choice and flexibility, the content of the standard is pitched at a high level allowing activities to be tailored to the needs of the organisation. The purposely non-linear nature of the standard’s approach allows organizations to adopt its structure no matter what stage they are at in their adaptation activities - from those just starting out, to those already