Scope: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)
The scope (French: domaine d'application) sets the boundaries of the SDG management system: activities, products or services, sites and entities covered. Under ISO 53001 the organisation determines it itself, taking account of its context and the expectations of interested parties, and keeps it available as documented information.
Updated: · edition covered: ISO/UNDP 53001:2026
In an ISO/UNDP 53001 audit
The auditor compares the declared scope with the organisation as it really is. Any exclusion must be justified and must not leave out an activity with a significant effect on the SDGs. Excluding the most energy-intensive production unit while claiming a contribution to SDG 13 calls for an explanation.
The wording must also be precise and known to the people interviewed. It is on this basis that the scope of certification is later defined. The requirement is described in clause 4 of the ISO/UNDP 53001 standard.
Scope and the priority SDGs
The scope and the choice of priority SDGs depend on each other. A scope drawn tightly around a head office will make some goals look irrelevant that the wider business affects heavily. The auditor reads the two together and asks whether the boundary was set before or after the SDGs were chosen, and why.
See also
- Scope of certification: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)The scope of certification (French: *périmètre de certification*) describes what an ISO 53001 certificate covers: activities, sites, entities and, where relevant, exclusions.
- Management system: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)A management system (French: *système de management*) is the organised set of policies, objectives, processes, roles and resources an organisation uses to achieve given results.
- Context of the organization: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)The context of the organization (French: *contexte de l'organisme*) covers the internal and external issues that shape an organisation's ability to contribute to the SDGs: market, regulation, supply chain, location, internal culture.
- ISO/UNDP 53001 clause 4: what the auditor checksISO 53001 clause 4 covers the context of the organization.