- The ImpactWorks initiative aims to advance the practical implementation of sustainability commitments in organisations through global standards, such as the upcoming ISO/UNDP standard for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- The Alliance brings together businesses, policymakers, and standards bodies and provides practical guidance, visibility, and learning in this field.
- The operational launch is planned for early 2026.
Seville, 4 July 2025. Javier García, Vice-President of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and Director General of the Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, presented the ImpactWorks Alliance at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) held in Seville, together with Marcos Neto, UN Under-Secretary-General and Director of the UNDP Bureau for Policy and Programme Support.
This is an international initiative between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and ISO, in collaboration with Social Value International (SVI), which aims to advance the real implementation of sustainability commitments, ensuring that they are translated into tangible and measurable actions. Thus, it brings together organisations committed to integrating sustainability into decision-making and business management systems to contribute to continuous improvement in economic, social, and environmental performance.
The Alliance, which brings together companies, policymakers, and standards bodies, provides practical guidance, visibility, and learning to facilitate the effective integration of sustainability commitments into organisational management systems.
To this end, it aims to accelerate the adoption of internationally recognised sustainability standards. Specifically, the future ISO/UNDP 53001 standard will establish the requirements for implementing a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Management System, a tool that will enable sustainability to be incorporated into business practices, as well as the SDG Impact Standards, promoting their incorporation into organisational management frameworks. Among others, UNE-ISO/UNDP PAS 53002, which in 2024 became the first global standard with guidelines to help organisations around the world achieve the SDGs.
Through the practical application of management standards, the initiative seeks to improve the way organisations are managed, operate and align with the priorities of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), thereby contributing to creating a more favourable environment for sustainable financing.
During his speech, Javier García emphasised that "this initiative reflects ISO's commitment to developing practical, agreed-upon standards that help organisations achieve real impact." Millions of organisations around the world use ISO standards to improve their management, and with this initiative, we can accelerate the transition from sustainability ambition to concrete and credible implementation."
By incorporating sustainability standards directly into management systems, organisations have a clear and effective roadmap for implementing their sustainability goals. This integration improves efficiency and enables more consistent, data-driven decision-making, enabling businesses to make a real impact while strengthening their performance and resilience.
At the event, sustainability experts from various fields discussed the role of standards as a key tool for driving progress toward the SDGs: Kotaro Sueyoshi, Deputy Director of the Sustainable Business Promotion Department at Mizuho Financial Group; Komal Sahu, Head of Sustainable Finance at AVPN; Jacob Færgemand, Country Chief Executive Nordics at Bureau Veritas; Antonio Silveira, Vice President of the Private Sector at CAF; and Ana Peña Laseca, Global Manager of Sustainability and Climate Change at Ferrovial.
The alliance's operational launch is planned for early 2026, coinciding with the publication of ISO/UNDP 53001.
