FORM 1:
PROPOSAL FOR A NEW FIELD OF TECHNICAL ACTIVITY
Circulation date2020-02-25

Reference number: Enter Number(to be given by ISO Central Secretariat)

Closing date for voting
2020-05-19
Proposer
AFNOR

ISO/TS/P TS/P 285

A proposal for a new field of technical activity shall be submitted to the ISO Central Secretariat,
which will assign it a reference number and process the proposal in accordance with the ISO/IEC
Directives Part 1, Clause 1.5. The proposer may be a member body of ISO, a technical committee,
subcommittee or project committee, the Technical Management Board or a General Assemblycommittee, the Secretary-General, a body responsible for managing a certification system
operating under the auspices of ISO, or another international organization with national bodymembership. Guidelines for proposing and justifying a new field of technical activity are given in
the ISO/IEC Directives Part 1, Annex C.

Proposal (to be completed by the proposer)
Title of the proposed new committee (The title shall indicate clearly yet concisely the new
field of technical activity which the proposal is intended to cover).
Biodiversity
Scope statement of the proposed new committee (The scope shall precisely define thelimits of the field of activity. Scopes shall not repeat general aims and principles
governing the work of the organization but shall indicate the specific area concerned).
Standardization in the field of Biodiversity to develop requirements, principles, framework,
guidance and supporting tools in a holistic and global approach for all relevant organizations,to enhance their contribution to Sustainable Development.
Excluded: standardization of test and measurement methods for ecological quality of water,
air, soil and marine environment.

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Form 1: Proposal for a new field of technical activity
Page 2☒The proposer has checked whether the proposed scope of the new committee
overlaps with the scope of any existing ISO committee☐

If an overlap or the potential for overlap is identified, the affected committee has been
informed and consultation has taken place between proposer and committee on
1.
modification/restriction of the scope of the proposal to eliminate the overlap,2.
potential modification/restriction of the scope of the existing committee toeliminate the overlap.

☐

If agreement with the existing committee has not been reached, arguments arepresented in this proposal (under question 7) as to why it should be approved.

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Form 1: Proposal for a new field of technical activity
Page 3

Proposed initial programme of work. (The proposed programme of work shall correspondto and clearly reflect the aims of the standardization activities and shall, therefore, show
the relationship between the subject proposed. Each item on the programme of work shallbe defined by both the subject aspect(s) to be standardized (for products, for example,
the items would be the types of products, characteristics, other requirements, data to besupplied, test methods, etc.). Supplementary justification may be combined withparticular items in the programme of work. The proposed programme of work shall alsosuggest priorities and target dates.)
The proposed work programme is as follows:
1. Definition and terminology
A common and standardized core of terms and definitions will be helpful to structure andshape the various other deliverables to be developed. It will contribute to build acommon understanding of concepts to support standardization work.
2. Principles and framework
This future standard will define a methodology for screening biodiversity issues. It willpropose methods for impact analysis and help in defining strategic actions and theirmonitoring. It is intended to support organizations of any type or activities in addressing
biodiversity over the whole value chain: upstream, on site, and downstream. It will help
in developing action plans and to monitor their progress with new or existing tools suchas indicators, inventory methods, standards for environmental bio-monitoring or
biodiversity reporting.
This principles and framework standard is intended to support:• the implementation of a holistic approach of biodiversity in all relevantorganizations or groups of organizations,• the integration of biodiversity issues in their activities,• decision-making.
It could be used at different levels for organizations or groups of organizations, such as
production sites, commercial areas, farmers’ organizations, SMEs, industry groups, local
communities.
3. Territory approach
The proposers advocate that addressing biodiversity necessarily implies an approach
focused on territories: the protection, recovery and sustainable use of biodiversity needs
to be considered at local level. It is proposed to develop deliverables that will provide
requirements and/or guidelines for the implementation of an approach of biodiversity
within a specific territory. The purpose is to adapt the approach defined in the Principles
and framework standard (see above) to local habitats, ecosystems, species and activities. It
will address cooperation between different categories of stakeholders, e.g. communities
and businesses.
4. Case studies of specific ecosystems
Technical reports will be proposed to gather case studies of biodiversity approaches
implemented for specific ecosystems.
5. Guidelines on specific biodiversity issues
It is proposed to develop Guidelines covering specific biodiversity issues, such as naturebased solutions (note 1), including ecological engineering (note 2), species-related issues
and technologies relevant for biodiversity.

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Form 1: Proposal for a new field of technical activity
Page 4Note 1: Nature-based Solutions (NbS): actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or
modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously
providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits.
Note 2: Ecological engineering: Ecological engineering is contributing to the development andpreservation of biodiversity thanks to long term adapted actions on selected ecosystems, considering
their functionalities, the diversity of natural habitats, the different ecotypes and all interactions. These
actions can apply to preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, ecosystems reallocation, renaturation

6. Biodiversity data collection and exchanges
It is proposed to develop Guidelines for biodiversity data collection and exchange, as
they need to be monitored along the value-chain, in order to enable relevant and reliableapproaches.
Indication(s) of the preferred type or types of deliverable(s) to be produced under the
proposal (This may be combined with the "Proposed initial programme of work" if moreconvenient).

1. Definition and terminology (standard);
2. Principles and framework (one or more standards);
3. Territory approach (standards or technical specifications);
4. Case studies of specific ecosystems (technical reports);
5. Guidelines on specific biodiversity issues (standards or technical specifications);
6. Biodiversity data collection and exchanges (standards or technical specifications).

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Form 1: Proposal for a new field of technical activity
Page 5A listing of relevant existing documents at the international, regional and national levels.
(Any known relevant document (such as standards and regulations) shall be listed,regardless of their source and should be accompanied by an indication of theirsignificance.)
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The United Nations: Sustainable Development Goals, 13, 14, 15
Convention on Biological Diversity (UNEP): the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, New Deal for
Nature, The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources, Global Biodiversity Outlook,
Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020
IPBES: Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
https://ipbes.net/global-assessment
FAO: The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture
http://www.fao.org/3/CA3129EN/CA3129EN.pdf
FAO (commission on genetic resources for food and agriculture) states of the world’s
genetic resources for food and agriculture http://www.fao.org/cgrfa/assessments/globalassessments/sow/en/]
European Union Biodiversity Strategy: green infrastructure communication
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/strategy/index_en.htm
French National Strategy for Biodiversity
German National Strategy on Biological Diversity
Chinese National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan
South African National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
BS 8596:2015 Surveying for bats in trees and woodland. Guide.
BS 8583:2015 Biodiversity. Guidance for businesses on managing the risks andopportunities
BS 42020:2013 Biodiversity. Code of practice for planning and development
NF X 10-900:2012 Ecological engineering - Methodology of project management applied tothe preservation and development of the natural habitats - Wetland and watercourses
IUCN publications: https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2019-007En.pdf
OECD publication on biodiversity
GRI 4: Biodiversity: https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-downloadcenter/gri-304-biodiversity-2016/
WWF publications: https://www.worldwildlife.org/publications
Act4Nature https://www.medef.com/fr/content/entreprises-et-biodiversite-exemples-debonnes-pratiques-1

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Form 1: Proposal for a new field of technical activity
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A statement from the proposer as to how the proposed work may relate to or impact on
existing work, especially existing ISO and IEC deliverables. (The proposer should explain
how the work differs from apparently similar work, or explain how duplication and conflict
will be minimized. If seemingly similar or related work is already in the scope of othercommittees of the organization or in other organizations, the proposed scope shalldistinguish between the proposed work and the other work. The proposer shall indicate
whether his or her proposal could be dealt with by widening the scope of an existingcommittee or by establishing a new committee.)
Some ISO/TCs (see list below) are already developing standards taking into account one ormore biodiversity issues.
It should be noted that ISO/TC 207 and the ISO 14000 series were reviewed for potential
links and synergies with the future activities of the proposed new TC but no work on
biodiversity was identified. With biodiversity becoming a major issue, a dedicated structure
ought to be established to address this global urgency in an efficient way. A specific standards
package focused on biodiversity is needed. Nonetheless, a liaison with ISO/TC 207 will be
proposed to ensure continued cooperation.
The added value of the new TC, compared to existing technical committees including TC 207,
is to develop a holistic and global approach for organizations or communities. It will take into
account the interactions between the various issues, i.e. protection, recovery and sustainable
use of biodiversity, in terms of their contribution to sustainable development. The new TC willcontribute to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in a coherent andintegrated way (for example SDG 13 “Climate action”, SDG 14 “Life below water”, SDG 15”Lifeon land”).The following sub-goals are directly relevant in terms of biodiversity:• 14.2 By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to
avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, andtake action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans;• 15.4 By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including theirbiodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential
for sustainable development;• 15.5 Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural
habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent theextinction of threatened species;• 15.9 Integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning,development processes, poverty reduction and accounts;• 15.A Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to financesustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing
countries to advance such management, including for conservation andreforestation.
A listing of relevant countries where the subject of the proposal is important to theirnational commercial interests.
This standardization endeavour is intended to involve all countries, since preservation,
recovery and sustainable use of biodiversity are vital global issues.
Region-specific challenges will be considered, for example the “lungs of the world”(the Amazon rain forest, the Mekong and Congo Basins).
The corresponding countries and also countries with the highest biodiversity as wellas the ones where biodiversity challenges are particularly acute, will be targeted for
P-membership.

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Form 1: Proposal for a new field of technical activity
Page 7A listing of relevant external international organizations or internal parties (other ISO
and/or IEC committees) to be engaged as liaisons in the development of thedeliverable(s). (In order to avoid conflict with, or duplication of efforts of, other bodies, it
is important to indicate all points of possible conflict or overlap. The result of any
communication with other interested bodies shall also be included.)
To be engaged as liaisons for the development of the standards of the proposed new TC:• ISO/TC 8 Ships and marine technology,• ISO/TC 146 Air quality,• ISO/TC 147 Water quality,• ISO/TC 190 Soil quality including SC 4 biological characterization of soil
• ISO/TC 207 Environmental management,• ISO/TC 268 Sustainable cities and communities,• ISO/TC 322 Sustainable finance.
To be kept informed as sector-specific primary beneficiaries of the tools to be developed by the
proposed new TC:• ISO/TC 28 Petroleum and related products, fuels and lubricants from natural orsynthetic sources,• ISO/TC 34 Food products,• ISO/TC 43 Acoustics,• ISO/TC 47 Chemistry,• ISO/TC 59 Buildings and civil engineering works,• ISO/ TC 82 Mining,• ISO/TC 85 Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies and radiological protection,• ISO/TC 165 Timber structures,• ISO/TC 180 Solar energy,• ISO/TC 182 Geotechnics,• ISO/TC 193 Natural gas,
• ISO/TC 218 Timber,• ISO/TC 224 Service activities related to drinking water supply, wastewaterand stormwater systems,• ISO/TC 228 Tourism and related services,• ISO/TC 234 Fisheries and aquacultures,• ISO/TC 238 Solid biofuels,• ISO/TC 275 Sludge recovery, recycling, treatment and disposal,• ISO/TC 282 Water reuse,• ISO/TC 287 Sustainable processes for wood and wood-based products,• ISO/TC 296 Bamboo,• ISO/TC 298 Rare earth,• ISO/TC 301 Energy management and energy savings.

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Form 1: Proposal for a new field of technical activity
Page 8A simple and concise statement identifying and describing relevant affected stakeholder
categories (including small and medium sized enterprises) and how they will each benefit
from or be impacted by the proposed deliverable(s).
Potential stakeholders are all organizations or groups of organizations:•

National authorities: the new standards will support organizations to meet theircommitments, to integrate societal expectations and to enhance current practices inbiodiversity data collection and exchange;•

Local authorities: the set of standards will help implementing requirements, framework,
guidance and supporting tools adapted to their territories;•

Environmental protection associations: the new standards will ensure that biodiversity
issues can be taken into account by all stakeholders in a consistent manner; it will provide
them with a tool for dialogue, for the promotion of biodiversity as a specific andirreplaceable value;•

Consumers: the set of standards will contribute to promote products associated to
specific actions aiming at preservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity;•

Businesses: these new standards will enables businesses:
 To understand and to evaluate the links between their activities andbiodiversity;
 To better integrate biodiversity issues into their strategic and decisionmaking processes, by supporting strategies for action and follow-up;
 To define a communication framework, to report on actions to society andemployees;
 To benefit from a methodology integrating biodiversity issues in a way
adapted to their nature, size (large businesses, small and medium sizedenterprises…), activity and maturity.
 To improve their local and territorial involvement and show their concern

An expression of commitment from the proposer to provide the committee secretariat if
the proposal succeeds.
If the proposal is accepted, AFNOR is willing to undertake the work of secretariat of the newTC, and is committed to providing all resources to successfully run the secretariat.

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Form 1: Proposal for a new field of technical activity
Page 9Purpose and justification for the proposal. (The purpose and justification for the creationof a new technical committee shall be made clear and the need for standardization in thisfieldshall be justified. Clause C.4.13.3 of Annex C of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1
contains a menu of suggestions or ideas for possible documentation to support andpurpose and justification of proposals. Proposers should consider these suggestions,but they are not limited to them, nor are they required to comply strictly with them. Whatis most important is that proposers develop and provide purpose and justification
information that is most relevant to their proposals and that makes a substantial businesscase for the market relevance and the need for their proposals. Thorough, well-developed
and robust purpose and justification documentation will lead to more informed
consideration of proposals and ultimately their possible success in the ISO IEC system.)
According to Article 2 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB), biodiversity ("Biologicaldiversity") is:… “ the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial,
marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; thisincludes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems”.
The stakeholders are more and more aware of and committed to the preservation, recovery
and sustainable use of biodiversity. Indeed, there are numerous initiatives and upcoming
important events like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUNC) congress inJune 2020 and the COP 15 in October 2020.
The preservation of biodiversity has become an ethical, economic and global issue. It is now
a growing political stake, which is emphasized by an international acknowledgment of thewidespread loss of biodiversity and need to accelerate the search of solutions for biodiversity
preservation, recovery and sustainable use.
Our economies are strongly dependent on biodiversity, while adversely impacting it. Thus, thelinks between the economy and ecosystems ought to be explored and taken into account.
Preservation, recovery and sustainable use of biodiversity also represent an economic
opportunity, driving new economic sectors of activity.
Thus, the proposers believe that there is a need to develop standardized and co-constructed
tools and methodologies in order to support actions and progress by sharing definitions andgood practices.
The proposers are conscious that some biodiversity issues may already be mentioned in a few
standards. However, no dedicated international standardization work is being carried out as yet.
Existing national standards that are directly related to the SDGs, including planning,development and risk management will be considered. The proposed deliverables will support
all stakeholders to develop a clear, global and consistent understanding of biodiversity.
Signature of the proposer

Alain COSTES,
AFNOR Standardisation Director
Further information to assist with understanding the requirements for the items above can befound in the Directives, Part 1, Annex C.

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