ISO 14092: a standard for structuring local climate adaptation

The International Organisation for Standardisation has published ISO 14092, which focuses on climate change adaptation at the regional level. Ghita Azizi, Climate Change Consultant at Baker Tilly Morocco, explains its scope.

Adaptation strategies exist in many countries, but their implementation remains uneven, their funding insufficient and their framework rarely measurable. ISO 14092 addresses these three weaknesses: clarifying roles, rigorous risk assessment, stakeholder engagement, monitoring progress and facilitating access to climate finance.

It covers four categories of risk – flooding, heatwaves, drought and water stress, coastal erosion and sea-level rise – and is linked to ISO 14091, which is used to assess vulnerabilities, and ISO 14093, which guides funding.

Its value is as much financial as it is technical: a compliant adaptation plan gains credibility with donors and investors.