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Scott Steedman introduction A force for good Scott Steedman


Standards are all around us, impacting all aspects of our lives from construction to nanotechnology, from energy management to health and safety, from the quality of your breakfast to protecting your online data. In this issue of Standards Outlook we look at how standards are changing the world in areas that are essential to all of our futures. The net zero transition has become a business imperative for chief executives of companies across all sectors. Business leaders see competitive advantage in delivering their sustainability ambitions and many now recognize that consensus standards are a fast-track way to make progress. We showcase some of the work we are doing to help organizations of all sizes accelerate their decarbonization journey. We look at how standards in energy and transport are helping to decarbonize these sectors, and how standards will underpin the delivery of the UK Hydrogen Strategy, a key plank of the government’s ambitions to decarbonize the national economy. However successful we are in the UK at decarbonizing our own economy, we know that achieving net zero is a global challenge. We are working with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to promote the international standards system as a platform to help to drive the decarbonization agenda worldwide. This encourages governments and regulators everywhere to use international standards as a common language to share best practice around


the world and particularly to encourage developing countries to take action. We have an article on the work of our


International Projects team and how it has evolved to tackle some of the most pressing global sustainable development challenges. Their aim, ‘to improve people’s lives by realizing inclusive and sustainable advances in developing and emerging economies’ has led them to undertake a number of remarkable projects. Standards are a powerful tool for building trust in new technology. In this issue we look at how a new Management System standard for Artificial Intelligence (AI) will support organizations as they integrate AI technologies into their products and services. AI has massive potential to improve our lives but good governance of the ethics of AI is essential at a corporate level to avoid harm or unfair treatment for consumers and workers alike.


The Construction sector has already made big strides to embrace digital transformation. In the area of construction products, BSI has launched a new service called BSI Identify, which has been developed in collaboration with industry partners. This new service provides a connecting piece of digital infrastructure, creating enduring links to product information that will support better quality and safer buildings through life. One of the more important BSI standards to support social justice is the work pioneered with the Alzheimer’s Society that


“Business leaders see competitive advantage in delivering their sustainability ambitions and many now recognize that consensus standards are a fast-track way to make progress ”


has led to the creation of a new international standard aimed at making communities across the world more dementia-friendly. We share the success story behind the fast-track standard, PAS 1365, which has provided the base document for the development of the new international standard ISO 25552 Ageing Societies, published in March. Standards need to work for all groups and sections of society. In our technical committees and working groups diversity of people and viewpoint is vital to ensure all voices are heard in the development of consensus standards. This is easier to achieve in new areas of work but more challenging in traditional sectors. In this


issue we discuss how we are working to attract people from a wide range of backgrounds to strengthen the diversity and inclusivity of our activity.


Once again, I am delighted that we have


external contributions to the magazine, this time from Nikki Stopford, chair of the BSI Consumer Forum and Julie Hunt, chair of the Consumer and Public Interest Network (CPIN). Nikki and Julie highlight the immensely valuable work that consumer organizations and representatives do in making sure the consumer voice is heard in standards development. Scott Steedman CBE, Director-General of Standards, BSI


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