Sustainable development: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)
Sustainable development (French: développement durable) means development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, balancing economic, social and environmental concerns. The Sustainable Development Goals are its operational, worldwide expression; ISO 53001 turns it into something that can be managed.
Updated: · edition covered: ISO/UNDP 53001:2026
In an ISO/UNDP 53001 audit
The term is broad and is not assessed as such. The auditor uses it to test overall coherence: an organisation that claims a sustainable development approach but tracks a single environmental indicator, with nothing on the social side, presents a partial picture of exactly the kind the SDGs were designed to widen.
The auditor also checks that the vocabulary in the organisation's communication matches what its system can demonstrate. Talking about sustainability without a measurable objective commits to nothing. The ISO/UNDP 53001 standard gives that ambition a verifiable frame, and its place among related standards such as ISO 26000 is explained separately.
See also
- Sustainable Development Goals: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), *Objectifs de développement durable (ODD)* in French, are the 17 goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity by 2030.
- 2030 Agenda: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (French: *Agenda 2030*) is the framework adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015.
- Contribution to the SDGs: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)Contribution to the SDGs (French: *contribution aux ODD*) is the effect, positive or negative, that an organisation's activities, products and decisions have on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
- ISO 53001, ISO 26000, ISO 14001: where the standard sits among the frameworks (ISO/UNDP 53001)ISO 53001 differs from ISO 26000, which gives social responsibility guidance and cannot be certified.