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Standards are an important tool for tackling climate change; the results of the 2022 German Standards Panel, which is under the patronage of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), also reflect this.

Dr. Franziska Brantner, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, explains, “Standards can make an important contribution to making a climate-neutral and sustainable economy a reality. They help companies to comply with technical regulations and open up new markets for climate-neutral and sustainable products.” She adds, “We can only succeed in the fight against climate change if we are part of an international alliance. This is why the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action is also focusing on standardization during the German G7 Presidency.”

The study shows standards are key for tackling climate change and driving the green transformation. Around 75 percent of the companies surveyed think that climate change should be addressed proactively by standardization experts and standardization organizations. In this context, companies support closer cooperation with the scientific community, a joint international agenda, and coordination between legislators and standards organizations as the most effective measures for focusing more closely on climate change in standards.

DIN and DKE are helping to achieve climate targets alongside partners such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Together with its national member organizations, ISO approved the London Declaration last year and committed itself to combating climate change through standards. According to Christoph Winterhalter, DIN Executive Board Chairman and ISO Vice President Policy, “Standardization makes an important contribution to supporting new technologies for greater climate protection. However, we are also aware that we need to completely analyse and selectively revise the existing body of standards in order to make it more climate-friendly. We will work together with standardization experts to achieve this objective.” Michael Teigeler, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the DKE, explains, “Efficient climate protection only works if different sectors network intelligently. In turn, standards are key here; they describe the interfaces between these sectors. There is a need to develop appropriate standards, and for this we need the support of dedicated experts.”

The Department of Innovation Economics at the Technical University of Berlin surveyed around 1,900 companies between October 2021 and January 2022. This is the tenth year in which the German Standardization Panel has delivered valuable scientific insights into standardization. DIN and DKE support the project, which has been under the patronage of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) since 2016. All the results of the 2022 Standardization Panel as well as earlier surveys can be viewed at www.normungspanel.de.