CEN/CLC Guide 32:2026

Guide for addressing climate change adaptation in standards

This document provides guidance on how and when to address adaptation to climate change in European standardization deliverables. It helps TCs to recognize when climate change or extreme weather may affect a standardization deliverable over its lifespan, understand when new or updated climate and weather data are needed, and incorporate adaptive and flexible solutions into standardization deliverables. This document is applicable to infrastructure, product and service standards. It provides a structured and practical framework to write, review and update standards in light of changing climate conditions.

Vodilo za obravnavo prilagajanja podnebnim spremembam v standardih

Ta dokument zagotavlja smernice o tem, kako in kdaj obravnavati prilagajanje podnebnim spremembam v evropskih standardizacijskih dokumentih. Pomaga tehničnim odborom (TC) prepoznati, kdaj lahko podnebne spremembe ali ekstremne vremenske razmere vplivajo na standardizacijski dokument skozi njegovo življenjsko dobo, razumeti, kdaj so potrebni novi ali posodobljeni podnebni in vremenski podatki, ter vključiti prilagodljive in fleksibilne rešitve v standardizacijske dokumente. Ta dokument je uporaben za standarde infrastrukture, izdelkov in storitev. Ponuja strukturiran in praktičen okvir za pisanje, pregledovanje in posodabljanje standardov glede na spreminjajoče se podnebne razmere.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 28-Apr-2026
• Technical Committee: CEN/CLC/Guides - Group for CEN-CENELEC Guides
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 29-Apr-2026
• Completion Date: 29-Apr-2026
• Ref Project: SIST-V CEN/CLC Guide 32:2026 - Guide for addressing climate change adaptation in standards

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-junij-2026
Vodilo za obravnavo prilagajanja podnebnim spremembam v standardih
Guide for addressing climate change adaptation in standards
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: CEN/CLC Guide 32:2026
ICS:
01.120 Standardizacija. Splošna Standardization. General
pravila rules
13.020.01 Okolje in varstvo okolja na Environment and
splošno environmental protection in
general
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

CEN-CENELEC
GUIDE
Guide for addressing climate
change adaptation in
standards
Edition 2, 2026-04
CEN and CENELEC decided to adopt this new CEN-CENELEC Guide 32 through CEN/BT C018/2026 and
D183/C002 respectively.
European Committee for Standardization
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

Rue de la Science, 23
B – 1040 Brussels – Belgium
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.cencenelec.eu
CEN-CLC Guide 32:2026 (E)
Contents Page
European foreword . 4
Introduction . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Approach for integrating climate change adaptation provisions in standards . 9
4.1 General . 9
4.2 Life cycle thinking. 9
4.3 Variations between approaches to product, service and infrastructure standards . 10
4.3.1 Risk profile . 10
4.3.2 Resilience options . 11
4.3.3 Validation . 11
5 Four-step approach for Technical Committees . 12
5.1 General . 12
5.2 Screening . 13
5.3 Diagnostics . 14
5.4 Embedding adaptation to climate change (ACC) . 15
5.5 Revision cycles . 17
Annex A (informative) Online climate change data sources per European country . 18
Bibliography . 20

CEN-CLC Guide 32:2026 (E)
European foreword
The European Union Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change [COM(2013) 216 final] identified
standards as an effective instrument for improving the climate resilience of infrastructures across
Europe. This resulted in the Standardization Request (Mandate M/526) addressed to the European
Standardization Organizations (ESOs) in support of implementation of the EU Strategy on Adaptation to
Climate Change [COM (2014) 3451 final] issued by the European Commission (EC). Part of the work
identified under this mandate includes the drafting, testing and issuing of a guidance document designed
specifically for Technical Committees of CEN-CENELEC infrastructure standards. The resultant guide
was published in 2022 (“Tailored Guidance for Standardization Technical Committees: How to include
Adaptation to Climate Change (ACC) in European Infrastructure Standards”).
It was decided by the CEN-CLC/COG Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change that CEN-CENELEC
Guide 32 “Guide for addressing climate change adaptation in standards” (Edition 1, 2016-04), and the
“Tailored Guidance for Standardization Technical Committees: How to include Adaptation to Climate
Change (ACC) in European Infrastructure Standards”, should be combined into one single document in
order to streamline where Technical Committees (TCs) can find supporting materials.
Edition 2 of CEN-CENELEC Guide 32 therefore merges both documents into a single, actionable
framework for integrating climate resilience into European standardization deliverables. This
harmonized document resolves contradictions and enhances usability for TCs across sectors.
This document has been prepared by the CEN-CLC/COG Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change
(COG Climate). The COG Climate requests feedback on the applicability of the guide in order to
continuously improve it.
European standardization deliverables on climate change adaptation are published by CEN/TC 467
Climate Change.
CEN and CENELEC proudly endorse the ISO London Declaration, reinforcing their commitment to
integrating climate considerations into standardization efforts aligned with the Paris Agreement and
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The CEN Guide 32 plays a vital role in this endeavour,
providing a framework to ensure European Standards actively contribute to climate action and
sustainable development, in harmony with international objectives.
CEN-CLC Guide 32:2026 (E)
Introduction
This document intends to support Technical Committees (TCs) in considering the impacts of a changing
climate when drafting, revising or updating European standardization deliverables. It reflects lessons
learned from the implementation of the first edition of CEN-CENELEC Guide 32 and incorporates content
from the supplementary document, “Tailored Guidance for Standardization Technical Committees: How
to include Adaptation to Climate Change (ACC) in European Infrastructure Standards”.
Climate change is already altering weather patterns, increasing the frequency and severity of extreme
events and driving long-term shifts such as sea level rise, higher temperatures and changing
precipitation. These changes affect how infrastructure, products and services perform over time and
create new risks for safety, reliability and continuity of operation. European and international initiatives
on climate action have highlighted standardization as a practical lever to manage these risks, support
resilience and enable consistent responses across sectors and countries. This guide forms part of that
wider programme of work and is intended to help standards developers identify when climate change is
relevant to their deliverables, understand what types of information they may need, and apply a clear,
stepwise approach to integrating adaptation into new and revised standards.
CEN-CLC Guide 32:2026 (E)
1 Scope
This document provides guidance on how and when to address adaptation to climate change in European
standardization deliverables. It helps TCs to recognize when climate change or extreme weather may
affect a standardization deliverable over its lifespan, understand when new or updated climate and
weather data are needed, and incorporate adaptive and flexible solutions into standardization
deliverables. This document is applicable to infrastructure, product and service standards. It provides a
structured and practical framework to write, review and update standards in light of changing climate
conditions.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
climate
statistical description of weather in terms of the mean and variability of relevant quantities over a period
of time ranging from months to thousands or millions of years
Note 1 to entry: The classical period for averaging these variables is 30 years, as defined by the World
Meteorological Organization.
Note 2 to entry: The relevant quantities are most often near-surface variables such as temperature, precipitation
and wind.
[SOURCE: ISO 14090:2019, definition 3.4]
3.2
weather
physical state of the atmosphere at a particular time or in an even short period of time at a specific
location
Note 1 to entry: Weather is characterized using quantifiable parameters. These parameters are fundamental
variables of the weather (weather elements) such as temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind direction and wind
speed, cloud cover, precipitation and visibility. Weather and climate are not the same thing. ‘Climate’ refers to the
average weather over decades (usually 30 years or more). Climate change also causes impacts that are not normally
understood as “weather”, such as sea level rise, subsidence, rises in water temperature, fluvial flooding, ocean
acidification, etc.
3.3
climate change
change in climate that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer
Note 1 to entry: Climate change can be identified by such means as statistical tests (e.g. on changes in the mean,
variability).
CEN-CLC Guide 32:2026 (E)
Note 2 to entry: Climate change might be due to natural processes, internal to the climate change models, or
external forcings such as modulations of the solar cycles, volcanic eruptions, and persistent anthropogenic changes
in the composition of the atmosphere or in land use.
[SOURCE: ISO 14090:2019, definition 3.5]
3.4
adaptation to climate change (ACC)
climate change adaptation
process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects
Note 1 to entry: In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate or avoid harm or exploit beneficial opportunities.
Note 2 to entry: In some natural systems, human intervention can facilitate adjustment to expected climate and its
effects.
[SOURCE: ISO 14090:2019, definition 3.1]
3.5
infrastructure
set of interacting or interdependent structural elements (system) that provide basic physical and
organizational structures needed for the functional operation of society, enterprise or the services and
facilities necessary for an economy
Note 1 to entry: These vital functions include buildings and are generally ensured by products, systems and
processes that are often subject of standardization deliverables.
Note 2 to entry: As examples of a functional operation of society and economy, demands can include the following:
basic supply (e.g. production, storage and distribution of water, food, energy, and products), habitation,
communication, finance, health including emergency service and public administration including civil protection
and public security.
3.6
risk
effect of uncertainty
Note 1 to entry: An effect is a deviation from the expected. It can be positive, negative or both. An effect can arise as
a result of a response, or failure to respond, to an opportunity or to a threat related to objectives.
Note 2 to entry: Uncertainty is the state, even partial, of deficiency of information related to, understanding or
knowledge of, an event, its consequence, or likelihood.
[SOURCE: ISO 14091:2021, definition 3.2.10, modified — Note 1 to entry has been modified. Notes 3 and
4 to entry have been deleted.]
3.7
threshold
level of magnitude of a climate variable (e.g. temperature) at which an effect or impact occurs
3.8
vulnerability
propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected
Note 1 to entry: Vulnerability encompasses a variety of concepts and elements including sensitivity or susceptibility
to harm and lack of capacity to cope and adapt.
[SOURCE: ISO 14090:2019, definition 3.15]
CEN-CLC Guide 32:2026 (E)
3.9
hazard
circumstance or situation where life, health, property, infrastructure, livelihoods, service provision or
environmental resources are threatened
3.10
impact
effect on natural and human systems
Note 1 to entry: In the context of climate change, the term "impact" is used primarily to refer to the effects on natural
and human systems of extreme weather and climate events and of climate change. Impacts generally refer to effects
on lives, livelihoods, health, ecosystems, economies, societies, cultures, services and infrastructure due to the
interaction of climate change or hazardous climate events occurring within a specific time period and the
vulnerability of an exposed society or system. Impacts are also referred to as consequences and outcomes. The
impacts of climate change on geophysical systems, including floods, droughts and sea level rise, are a subset of
impacts called "physical impacts".
[SOURCE: ISO 14090:2019, definition 3.8]
3.11
resilience
capacity of social, economic, and environmental systems to cope with a hazardous event or trend or
disturbance, responding or reorganizing in ways that maintain their essential function, identity and
structure, while also maintaining the capacity for adaptation, learning and transformation
[SOURCE: ISO 14080:2018, definition 3.1.3.6]
3.12
life cycle
consecutive and interlinked stages of a product (or service) system, from raw material acquisition or
generation from natural resources to final disposal
Note 1 to entry: The life cycle stages include acquisition of raw materials, design, production, transportation/
delivery, use, end-of-life treatment and final disposal.
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, definition 3.3.3]
3.13
product standard
standard that specifies requirements to be fulfilled by a product or a group of products, to establish its
fitness for purpose
Note 1 to entry: A product standard may include in addition to the fitness for purpose requirements, directly or by
reference, aspects such as terminology, sampling, testing, packaging and labelling and, sometimes, processing
requirements.
Note 2 to entry: A product standard can be either complete or not, according to whether it specifies all or only a part
of the necessary requirements. In this respect, one may differentiate between standards such as dimensional,
material, and technical delivery standards.
[SOURCE: EN 45020:2006, definition 5.4]
CEN-CLC Guide 32:2026 (E)
3.14
service standard
standard that specifies requirements to be fulfilled by a service, to establish its fitness for purpose
Note 1 to entry: Service standards may be prepared in fields such as laundering, hotel-keeping, transport, car-
servicing, telecommunications, insurance, banking, trading.
[SOURCE: EN 45020:2006, definition 5.6]
4 Approach for integrating climate change adaptation provisions in standards
4.1 General
This clause introduces the general approach for incorporating climate change adaptation into European
standards deliverables. TCs should consider climate change at all stages of the life cycle of the
infrastructure, product or service it is targeting. TCs should identify points at which climatic conditions
(e.g. temperature, precipitation, wind speed) could exceed the design assumptions of the standardization
deliverable.
Even though this guide focuses on adaptation to climate change, adaptation actions will take place
alongside efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy. Standards
users should therefore consider how mitigation measures and decarbonization pathways might change
the context in which infrastructure, products and services operate, whilst recognizing that all such
measures will still need to perform reliably under a changing and increasingly uncertain climate.
4.2 Life cycle thinking
A life cycle approach to evaluate the impacts of a changing climate on a standardization deliverable
should be adopted. The life cycle stages in Figure 1 are used for illustrative purposes, for instance life
cycles can also be circular (e.g. cradle to cradle).
Life cycle thinking focuses on the impacts of a product or process internally from creation to disposal.
Life cycle thinking should include considerations of supply chain dependencies and potential disruptions
due to climate-related risks.
Figure 1 — Life cycle stages
CEN-CLC Guide 32:2026 (E)
Figure 2 gives an overview of climate drivers, secondary effects, and their potential impacts across life
cycle stages.
Figure 2 — Examples of climate drivers, impacts and consequences for life cycle stages
4.3 Variations between approaches to product, service and infrastructure standards
Climate change adaptation can be addressed in different ways depending on the type of standard (e.g.
product, service or infrastructure standard). TCs should tailor climate risk and resilience approaches to
the context of each standardization deliverable (e.g. EN, CEN/TS).
EXAMPLE For infrastructure with long operational lifespans, standardization deliverables could focus on
documentation and updating practices. Such standardization deliverables could require mu
...