Proposed by AFNOR, France’s national standards body and host of the ISO Annual Meeting 2026, and approved by ISO members today in Paris, the Statement builds on ISO’s climate commitment adopted in 2021 and reflects the growing need to complement climate mitigation efforts with stronger action on adaptation, ecosystem resilience and nature conservation.
As communities, governments and businesses face increasingly interconnected challenges, from climate impacts and biodiversity loss to water and resource pressures, food security, global health and strained supply chains, the Paris Statement recognizes International Standards as practical tools that can help translate global commitments into action.
The Statement also reinforces Environmental Sustainability as a priority of the ISO Strategy 2030 and ISO’s commitment to supporting the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and global efforts on adaptation and resilience.
ISO President, Khaled Soufi, speaking at ISO’s General Assembly, said, “Today was an opportunity to reiterate ISO’s commitment to global resilience and climate adaptation efforts through the Paris Statement. This is a symbol of our collective determination to turn climate commitments into concrete action. I count on your support to help realize our shared vision.”
AFNOR Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Franck Lebeugle, said, "The Paris Statement aims to ensure that voluntary standards support the major transformations currently underway: the digital, environmental and societal transitions. They will continue to empower economic stakeholders by providing proven, shared best practices, helping them navigate and adapt to an ever-changing global landscape. Now more than ever, trust must be at the heart of our relationships, our interactions and our collective ability to move forward."
The Paris Statement
In the context of accelerating ecological, energy and digital transitions, International Standards serve as a strategic lever to enable resilient and sustainable development. Developed within an open multilateral system, they are voluntary tools to anticipate, measure and manage risks and transform practices.
International Standards contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals by underpinning innovation, resilient infrastructure, and sustainable industrial development, while addressing interconnected challenges such as strained supply chains, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, water and soil management, food security, and global health.
They can be tailored to local and sectoral specificities, supporting communities and organizations to adapt to evolving societal needs. They are grounded in scientific knowledge, technical expertise and multistakeholder consensus.
Aligned with the ISO Strategy 2030, ISO reaffirms the central role of science, ecosystem resilience, climate change adaptation and nature preservation at the heart of its Environmental Sustainability agenda.
ISO will continue to support a safe, resilient and sustainable future by providing policymakers, industry and stakeholders with trusted frameworks that connect international and national initiatives with practical implementation.
ISO members, the technical community and all partners are invited to contribute to our shared ambition of making lives easier, safer and better through continued collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the development and use of International Standards.
The ISO Annual Meeting 2026 is hosted by AFNOR in Paris, France, from 28 September to 2 October 2026. Under the theme Building trust in a changing world, the Annual Meeting is bringing together global leaders, policymakers and standards experts to explore the role of International Standards in addressing the world's most pressing challenges.
More information about the ISO Annual Meeting, including the replay of livestream sessions open to the public, is available at www.iso.org/annualmeeting.