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The role of NSBs in achieving net zero


“We believe NSBs should be seen as a conduit for global good practice to flow throughout national economies and address the credibility of metrics and other net zero challenges. That should be our guiding light,” says Cindy. “This is especially relevant to developing countries where the uptake of standards and the relationship between standards, regulation and policy is not as mature as in the developed world. “There seems to be a touching faith in


many countries that introducing the right legislation and regulation is enough to bring about change. However, as the excellent UNIDO report on Quality Infrastructure points out, confidence and trust in new technology is more rapidly and firmly developed when NSBs and conformity assessment organizations are brought into play, and the whole quality infrastructure system operates in a coherent and coordinated manner. “In my own work with NSBs in the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa, the consistent feedback is that there is a lack of communication between policy makers, regulators and NSBs. This has to change if the developing world is going to make the great transition to net zero and to a digital society.”


Cindy believes the onus is on international standards bodies and NSBs to raise awareness and make the case for a more active approach towards adopting international standards. “The evidence is there; according to a recent ISO report, a range of studies show that the uptake of standards leads to significant improvements


“Engagement is the key – engagement with policy makers and engagement with other stakeholders from business, financial services, academia and NGOs.” Cindy Parokkil


in economic performance with higher productivity and economic growth. “Engagement is the key – engagement with policy makers and engagement with other stakeholders from business, financial services, academia and NGOs. I believe the UK model – where BSI is playing an active role in working with government to identify where national standards can support the transformation agenda to net zero – could provide the basis for capacity building in developing countries. “We work closely with government,


regulators and the wider community to identify the standards gaps. Increasingly we are filling those gaps with new agile standards to address net zero challenges and have put a trusted system in place to do that. “For example, PAS 1878: Energy Smart


Appliances – System functionality and architecture, and Flex 260: Built Environment - Digital twins overview and general principles. Through the international standards system we want to take that good practice to developing countries where it can be used to support their net zero ambitions.” International standards bodies, such as ISO, encourage their 167 individual members to participate in the technical committees to develop the international standards which, in turn, provides the credibility for them to be adopted globally. “This network is arguably one of the most


knowledge-intensive world-wide networks in existence, and the international standards development process is the most efficient way of collating and diffusing knowledge across borders, maintaining its relevance,” says Cindy.


BSI is playing an active role, working with government to identify where national standards can support the net zero agenda, providing a model for other NSBs to follow


When it comes to regulation, Cindy thinks NSBs need to work with regulators to highlight that the international standards system is already in step with technology developments and that international standards provide a basis for international agreement on the adoption of a new process or technology. “There is no need for policy makers and


Cindy Parokkil


regulators to re-invent the international consensus wheel. But perhaps we, as a National Standards Body, should go one step further, in this vital area of net zero, and convene stakeholders to develop standards roadmaps to provide policy makers with the answers to the questions that they are only just beginning to formulate. “I believe this is the thought leadership to which NSBs should aspire and, by doing so, play a key role in helping to provide answers to the greatest challenge of our generation.” To learn more about BSI’s thought leadership in this space, read the latest BSI policy whitepaper ‘The role of standards and NSBs in achieving Net Zero’ and listen to the BSI Standards Show Podcast episode on “Achieving Net Zero with Standards”.


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