Glossary / Lexicon

The International Organization for Standardization (French: Organisation internationale de normalisation), known as ISO, is an international standard--setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations.

ISO stands for the International Organization for Standardization. It is an independent, non-governmental organization that develops and publishes international standards for a wide range of industries, including the environment.

The main purpose of ISO is to promote the development and implementation of standards that help to ensure the quality, safety, and efficiency of products, services, and systems. ISO standards are voluntary and are used by organizations around the world as a way to ensure that their products, services, and processes meet certain criteria and are consistent with international best practices.

In the environment industry, ISO has developed a number of standards related to environmental management and sustainability, including ISO 14001, which outlines the requirements for an environmental management system, and ISO 14064, which covers greenhouse gas accounting and verification.

ISO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has members in over 162 countries. It is funded through the sale of its standards, as well as through membership fees.

There are many national subsidiaries of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) around the world. National subsidiaries are organizations that are recognized by ISO as being responsible for promoting and facilitating the development and use of ISO standards within a specific country.

Here are a few examples of national subsidiaries of ISO:

• ANSI (American National Standards Institute): ANSI is the national subsidiary of ISO in the United States and is responsible for coordinating the development and use of standards in the country.

• BSI (British Standards Institution): BSI is the national subsidiary of ISO in the United Kingdom and is responsible for promoting and facilitating the use of standards in the country.

• DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung): DIN is the national subsidiary of ISO in Germany and is responsible for promoting and facilitating the use of standards in the country.

• AFNOR (Association Française de Normalisation): AFNOR is the national subsidiary of ISO in France and is responsible for promoting and facilitating the use of standards in the country.

• JISC (Japanese Industrial Standards Committee): JISC is the national subsidiary of ISO in Japan and is responsible for promoting and facilitating the use of standards in the country.

These are just a few examples of national subsidiaries of ISO. There are many other national subsidiaries around the world, each with its own unique role in promoting and facilitating the use of standards within its respective country.