Training and Support in Delivering Standards for Climate Change Resilience

ISO 14092 Adaptation to climate change — Requirements and guidance on adaptation planning for local governments and communities was published last week. It is the latest in the adaptation standards' 'family' support ISO 14090 Adaptation to climate change - Principles, requirements and guidelines.

Climate Sense's Doogie Black played a major part in drafting ISO 14090 and our John Dora led the drafting process. Both played a part in producing ISO 14092, John being ISO's Global Adaptation Lead. ISO 14092 gives some case study examples of adaptation plans and specifies requirements and guidance on adaptation planning for local governments and communities. It supports local governments and communities in adapting to climate change based on vulnerability, impacts and risk assessments. In working with relevant interested parties, it also supports the setting of priorities, and the development and subsequent updating of an adaptation plan.

Whilst ISO 14090 is the ground-breaking adaptation framework standard, subsequent standards like ISO 14092 are being tailored to sectors or specific topics. The next in line and set for publication later in 2020 will be ISO 14091 “Adaptation to climate change - Guidelines on vulnerability, impacts and risk assessment” where Doogie Black has again been active.

All ISO 1409X adaptation standards will follow the framework format set out in ISO 14090. The framework requires, among other topics, deliberations of an organisation's capability to produce a best-practice adaptation plan, taking into account factors such as adaptive capacity, leadership, governance, resources, potential impacts, data, information and sources of knowledge. The term 'organisation' covers any kind of organisation, even projects. Key to successful adaptation is the embedding of adaptation in the policies, strategies and plans of the organisation, and continual learning. Indicators, monitoring and evaluation and stakeholder involvement feature, recognising that long term adaptation is not easily measured and the concept of trajectories is recommended.