EN ISO 14090:2019

Adaptation to climate change - Principles, requirements and guidelines (ISO 14090:2019)

This document specifies principles, requirements and guidelines for adaptation to climate change. This includes the integration of adaptation within or across organizations, understanding impacts and uncertainties and how these can be used to inform decisions.
This document is applicable to any organization, regardless of size, type and nature, e.g. local, regional, international, business units, conglomerates, industrial sectors, natural resource management units.
This document can support the development of sector-, aspect- or element-specific climate change adaptation standards.

Anpassung an die Folgen des Klimawandels - Grundsätze, Anforderungen und Leitlinien (ISO 14090:2019)

Dieses Dokument legt Grundsätze, Anforderungen und Leitlinien für die Anpassung an den Klimawandel fest. Dazu gehören die Integration der Anpassung innerhalb von oder zwischen Organisationen, das Verstehen von Auswirkungen und Unsicherheiten und das Wissen darüber, wie dieses Verständnis in Entscheidungen einfließen kann.
Dieses Dokument ist von jeder Organisation, unabhängig von Größe, Art und Beschaffenheit, anwendbar, z. B. lokale, regionale, internationale Organisationen, Geschäftsbereiche, Konglomerate, Wirtschaftsbereiche, Einheiten zur Bewirtschaftung natürlicher Ressourcen.
Dieses Dokument kann die Entwicklung von sektor , aspekt  oder elementspezifischen Standards zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel unterstützen.

Adaptation au changement climatique - Principes, exigences et lignes directrices (ISO 14090:2019)

Le présent document spécifie les principes, les exigences et les lignes directrices relatifs à l'adaptation au changement climatique. Cela inclut l'intégration de l'adaptation dans les organismes et entre les organismes, la compréhension des impacts et des incertitudes et la façon d'utiliser ces informations pour étayer les décisions à prendre.
Le présent document s'applique à tout organisme, quels que soient sa taille, son type et sa nature, par exemple que ce soit au niveau local, national ou international, qu'il s'agisse d'unités opérationnelles, de conglomérats, de secteurs industriels ou encore d'unités de gestion des ressources naturelles.
Le présent document peut étayer l'élaboration de normes d'adaptation au changement climatique spécifiques à un secteur, un aspect ou un élément.

Prilagoditev podnebnim spremembam - Načela, zahteve in smernice (ISO 14090:2019)

Ta standard določa načela, zahteve in smernice za prilagoditev podnebnim spremembam. To vključuje integracijo prilagoditve v organizacijah, razumevanje vplivov in negotovosti, ter kako je te mogoče uporabiti pri odločitvah. Ta dokument se uporablja za vse organizacije, ne glede na velikost, vrsto in naravo, npr. lokalne, regionalne, mednarodne, poslovne enote, konglomerate, industrijske sektorje, enote za upravljanje z naravnimi viri. Ta dokument lahko podpira razvoj standardov za prilagoditev podnebnim spremembam za specifične sektorje, vidike ali elemente.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 02-Jul-2019
• Withdrawal Date: 30-Jan-2020
• ICS: 13.020.40 - Pollution, pollution control and conservation
• Technical Committee: CEN/SS S26 - Environmental Management
• Drafting Committee: CEN/SS S26 - Environmental Management
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 03-Jul-2019
• Completion Date: 03-Jul-2019
• Ref Project: SIST EN ISO 14090:2019 - Adaptation to climate change - Principles, requirements and guidelines (ISO 14090:2019)

Overview

EN ISO 14090:2019 - Adaptation to climate change: Principles, requirements and guidelines is the CEN-adopted version of ISO 14090:2019. It provides a generic, organization‑level framework for planning, implementing and reviewing climate change adaptation. The standard is designed to be applicable to any organization - public or private, any size or sector - and supports the development of sector-, aspect- or element-specific climate change adaptation standards.

Key aims:

• Establish principles for adaptation (change-oriented perspective, flexibility, mainstreaming, robustness, systems thinking).
• Define requirements and guidelines for assessing impacts, identifying adaptation actions, and integrating adaptation across governance and management processes.
• Provide guidance on monitoring, reporting and continual improvement.

Key Topics and Requirements

EN ISO 14090:2019 covers technical topics that organisations need to address when developing climate change adaptation strategies:

• Principles (Clause 4): Core values such as sustainability, subsidiarity, transparency, accountability and synergies between adaptation and mitigation.
• Pre‑planning (Clause 5): Preparing the organization and setting context for adaptation activities.
• Assessing impacts and uncertainties (Clause 6): Methods for impact assessment, risk assessment, vulnerability assessment, thresholds analysis, and assessing adaptive capacity.
• Adaptation planning (Clause 7): Integrating climate information, defining scope and boundaries, baselines, identifying adaptation options, and decision‑making approaches (short, medium and long‑term decisions).
• Implementation (Clause 8): Leadership, commitment and implementation planning.
• Monitoring, evaluation, reporting and communication (Clauses 9–10): Metrics, performance tracking, stakeholder engagement and transparency.
• Informative annexes: Using systems thinking for boundary setting (Annex A) and thresholds analysis (Annex B).

The standard emphasises managing uncertainties and embedding adaptation across organizational processes rather than treating it as a one-off activity.

Applications and Who Uses It

EN ISO 14090:2019 is practical for:

• Corporate sustainability teams, risk managers and business continuity planners integrating climate resilience into operations.
• Local and regional governments designing adaptation policies, infrastructure planning and natural resource management.
• Sector regulators and standard developers creating sector-specific adaptation requirements (e.g., water, transport, energy, agriculture).
• NGOs and consultants advising on vulnerability assessments, adaptation planning and monitoring frameworks.

Benefits include improved resilience, informed decision‑making under uncertainty, compliance alignment with international goals (Paris Agreement, SDGs) and a structured basis for reporting and stakeholder communication.

Related Standards

• ISO 14001 (Environmental management systems) - for integrating adaptation into EMS
• Sector- or region-specific adaptation standards and guidance documents (to be developed or aligned using EN ISO 14090:2019 as the generic framework)

Keywords: EN ISO 14090:2019, climate change adaptation, adaptation planning, vulnerability assessment, risk assessment, adaptive capacity, monitoring and evaluation, systems thinking.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-november-2019
Prilagoditev podnebnim spremembam - Načela, zahteve in smernice (ISO
14090:2019)
Adaptation to climate change - Principles, requirements and guidelines (ISO
14090:2019)
Anpassung an den Klimawandel - Grundsätze, Anforderungen und Leitlinien (ISO
14090:2019)
Adaptation au changement climatique - Principes, exigences et lignes directrices (ISO
14090:2019)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 14090:2019
ICS:
13.020.40 Onesnaževanje, nadzor nad Pollution, pollution control
onesnaževanjem in and conservation
ohranjanje
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN ISO 14090
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
July 2019
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 13.020.40
English Version
Adaptation to climate change - Principles, requirements
and guidelines (ISO 14090:2019)
Adaptation au changement climatique - Principes, Anpassung an den Klimawandel - Grundsätze,
exigences et lignes directrices (ISO 14090:2019) Anforderungen und Leitlinien (ISO 14090:2019)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 17 June 2019.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2019 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 14090:2019 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3

European foreword
This document (EN ISO 14090:2019) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 207
"Environmental management" in collaboration with CCMC.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by January 2020, and conflicting national standards shall
be withdrawn at the latest by January 2020.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 14090:2019 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 14090:2019 without any modification.

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 14090
First edition
2019-06
Adaptation to climate change —
Principles, requirements and
guidelines
Adaptation au changement climatique — Principes, exigences et
lignes directrices
Reference number
ISO 14090:2019(E)
©
ISO 2019
ISO 14090:2019(E)
© ISO 2019
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

ISO 14090:2019(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Principles . 4
4.1 General . 4
4.2 Change-oriented perspective. 4
4.3 Flexibility . 4
4.4 Mainstreaming and embedding. 4
4.5 Robustness . 4
4.6 Subsidiarity . 5
4.7 Sustainability . 5
4.8 Synergy between adaptation and mitigation of climate change . 5
4.9 Systems thinking . 5
4.10 Transparency . 5
4.11 Accountability . 5
5 Pre-planning . 5
6 Assessing climate change impacts including opportunities . 6
6.1 General . 6
6.2 Impact assessment methods . 8
6.2.1 General. 8
6.2.2 Risk assessment . . 8
6.2.3 Vulnerability assessment . 9
6.2.4 Thresholds analysis . 9
6.3 Assessing adaptive capacity . 9
6.4 Identifying opportunities .10
6.5 Identifying uncertainties .10
7 Adaptation planning .10
7.1 General .10
7.2 Policy, strategy and planning context .11
7.3 Decision-making .12
7.3.1 General.12
7.3.2 Identification of climate change adaptation actions .12
7.3.3 Decision-making approaches .13
7.3.4 Short, medium and long lifespan decisions .13
7.4 Adaptation plan .14
7.4.1 General.14
7.4.2 Scope of the plan and boundaries of the system .14
7.4.3 Baselines .15
7.4.4 Climate change information .15
7.4.5 Impacts .15
7.4.6 Adaptive capacity .15
7.4.7 Climate change adaptation actions .15
7.4.8 Implementation, monitoring and evaluation, reporting and communication .16
7.4.9 Interested parties’ engagement .16
8 Implementation .16
8.1 Leadership and commitment .16
8.2 Implementation plan .16
9 Monitoring and evaluation.17
ISO 14090:2019(E)
10 Reporting and communication .18
Annex A (informative) Using systems thinking to set boundaries for climate change adaptation .20
Annex B (informative) Thresholds analysis .24
Bibliography .27
iv © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

ISO 14090:2019(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following
URL: www .iso .org/iso/foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 207, Environmental management,
Subcommittee SC 7, Greenhouse gas management and related activities.
This document is the generic standard for adaptation to climate change.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/members .html.
ISO 14090:2019(E)
Introduction
Climate change is impacting organizations in various ways and will continue to do so for decades
to come, owing to greenhouse gases emitted since the start of the Industrial Revolution. The extent
of future climate change will depend on the effectiveness of efforts to limit further emissions of
greenhouse gases and to manage other factors that impact radiative forcing. Therefore, climate change
adaptation is required to reduce the threats and maximize the opportunities presented to organizations
of all kinds by a changing climate.
In November 2016, the Paris Agreement came into force to limit global temperature rise and it
established a global adaptation goal of “enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and
reducing vulnerability to climate change, with a view to contributing to sustainable development and
ensuring an adequate adaptation response in the context of the temperature goal”. Implementation
of the Paris Agreement, along with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) as
agreed in 2015, helps to drive global efforts towards actions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions
as well as build climate resilience.
Climate change impacts can be direct or indirect and can take various forms such as physical, social,
financial, political, regulatory or reputational, and as such climate change adaptation has a very
broad scope. This document will enable organizations to prioritize and develop effective, efficient and
deliverable adaptation tailored to the specific climate change challenges they face. Its main purpose is
therefore to provide organizations with a consistent, structured and pragmatic approach to prevent
or minimize the harm that climate change could cause and also to take advantage of opportunities.
Applying this approach enables organizations to give appropriate consideration to climate change
adaptation when designing, implementing, improving and updating policies, strategies, plans and
activities.
The application of this document is intended to be performed alongside other organizational priorities.
This includes carrying out all climate change adaptation activities in parallel with, or integrated with,
climate change mitigation activities and other sustainability priorities.
Furthermore, application of this document can assist in demonstrating to interested parties that an
organization’s approach to climate change adaptation is credible. This document can also be of relevance
to individuals and organizations involved in purchasing, investment and insurance when seeking to
understand another organization’s climate change adaptation. It is designed to help organizations
develop measures and report on adaptation activity in a verifiable way.
This document’s approach is relevant to all sizes and types of organizations where their activities,
products and services might be threatened by, or in some cases able to take advantage of, climate
change. The approach within this document is iterative, supporting continual learning and improvement
processes aimed at all scales, from local to multinational organizations, those in the public and private
sectors, voluntary and community organizations, single, small and medium size enterprises. This
document is relevant regardless of the scope of adaptation and can be used in the context of both
incremental change and transformation.
The purposely non-linear nature of this document’s approach allows organizations to adopt its
structure no matter what stage they are at in climate change adaptation, from those just starting out
to those already engaged in adaptation to those choosing to lead the way. Organizations might find
themselves moving back and forth between multiple elements, depending upon the challenges they face
and the lessons they learn from delivery experience. The structure is however logical, iterative and
designed to be applied into the future. The structure covers:
— pre-planning;
— assessing impacts including opportunities;
— adaptation planning;
— implementation;
vi © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

ISO 14090:2019(E)
— monitoring and evaluation;
— reporting and communication.
In this document, the following verbal forms are used:
— “shall” indicates a requirement;
— “should” indicates a recommendation;
— “may” indicates a permission;
— “can” indicates a possibility or a capability.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 14090:2019(E)
Adaptation to climate change — Principles, requirements
and guidelines
1 Scope
This document specifies principles, requirements and guidelines for adaptation to climate change.
This includes the integration of adaptation within or across organizations, understanding impacts and
uncertainties and how these can be used to inform decisions.
This document is applicable to any organization, regardless of size, type and nature, e.g. local, regional,
international, business units, conglomerates, industrial sectors, natural resource management units.
This document can support the development of sector-, aspect- or element-specific climate change
adaptation standards.
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 terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https: //www .iso .org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http: //www .electropedia .org
3.1
adaptation to climate change
climate change adaptation
process of adjustment to actual or expected climate (3.4) 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: Adapted from IPCC, 2014]
3.2
adaptive capacity
ability of systems, institutions, humans, and other organisms to adjust to potential damage, to take
advantage of opportunities, or to respond to consequences
[SOURCE: Adapted from IPCC, 2014]
3.3
adaptive management
process of iteratively planning, implementing and modifying strategies for managing resources in the
face of uncertainty and change
Note 1 to entry: Adaptive management involves adjusting approaches in response to observations of their effects
and changes in the system brought on by resulting feedback effects and other variables.
ISO 14090:2019(E)
[SOURCE: IPCC, 2014]
3.4
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: Adapted from IPCC, 2014]
3.5
climate change
change in climate (3.4) 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).
Note 2 to entry: Climate change might be due to natural processes, internal to the climate system, 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: Adapted from IPCC, 2014]
3.6
exposure
presence of people, livelihoods, species or ecosystems, environmental functions, services, resources,
infrastructure, or economic, social or cultural assets in places and settings that could be affected
Note 1 to entry: Exposure can change over time, for example as a result of land use change.
[SOURCE: Adapted from IPCC, 2014]
3.7
hazard
potential source of harm
Note 1 to entry: The potential for harm can be in terms of loss of life, injury or other health impacts, as well
as damage and loss to property, infrastructure, livelihoods, service provision, ecosystems and environmental
resources.
Note 2 to entry: In this document, the term usually refers to climate-related physical events or trends or their
physical impacts.
Note 3 to entry: Hazard comprises slow-onset developments (e.g. rising temperatures over the long term) as well
as rapidly developing climatic extremes (e.g. a heatwave or a landslide) or increased variability.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC Guide 51:2014, 3.2, modified — Notes 1 and 2 to entry have been added to reflect the
definition of "hazard" in IPCC, 2014: Annex II: Glossary. Note 3 to entry has been added.]
2 © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

ISO 14090:2019(E)
3.8
impact
effect on natural and human systems
Note 1 to entry: In the context of climate change (3.5), 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 (3.15) 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: Adapted from IPCC, 2014]
3.9
indicator
quantitative, qualitative or binary variable that can be measured or described, in response to a defined
criterion
[SOURCE: ISO 13065:2015, 3.27]
3.10
interested party
person or organization (3.11) that can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision
or activity
EXAMPLE Customers, communities, suppliers, regulators, non-governmental organizations, investors,
employees and academia.
Note 1 to entry: To “perceive itself to be affected” means the perception has been made known to the organization.
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.1.6, modified — "academia" has been added to the example.]
3.11
organization
person or group of people that has its own functions with responsibilities, authorities and relationships
to achieve its objectives
Note 1 to entry: The concept of organization includes, but is not limited to sole-trader, company, corporation, firm,
enterprise, authority, partnership, charity or institution, or part or combination thereof, whether incorporated
or not, public or private.
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.1.4]
3.12
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 14001:2015, 3.2.10, modified — Note 1 to entry has been modified. Notes 3 and 4 to entry
have been deleted.]
ISO 14090:2019(E)
3.13
sustainability
state of the global system, including environmental, social and economic aspects, in which the needs
of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Note 1 to entry: The environmental, social and economic aspects interact, are interdependent and are often
referred to as the three dimensions of sustainability.
Note 2 to entry: Sustainability is the goal of sustainable development.
[SOURCE: ISO Guide 82:2014, 3.1]
3.14
transformation
change in the fundamental attributes of natural and human systems
[SOURCE: Adapted from IPCC, 2014]
3.15
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: Adapted from IPCC, 2014]
4 Principles
4.1 General
The principles described in this clause are fundamental to the process of climate change adaptation
and are the basis for the requirements described in Clauses 5 to 10. This document does not provide
specific requirements for all situations and these principles provide guidance for decisions that need to
be made in unanticipated situations. The principles are not requirements.
4.2 Change-oriented perspective
When adapting to climate change, an organization prepares, supports and facilitates organizational
change at all relevant levels. Change may be proactive in anticipation of changing circumstances
or reactive in response to conditions that have altered. The magnitude of change can range from
incremental, involving minor adjustments, through to transformation.
4.3 Flexibility
The organization continually reviews, responds and adapts to new conditions, information, methods
and solutions as they emerge. It uses continual learning and adaptive management processes, adopting
an iterative approach to improve understanding, decision-making and implementation processes.
4.4 Mainstreaming and embedding
Climate change adaptation is most effective when it is integrated into the organization’s processes
(such as policies, plans, procedures and implementation).
4.5 Robustness
The organization uses appropriate methodological approaches and information sources that are
relevant and lead to robust decision-making and climate change adaptation actions. Information about
uncertainties is recognized as a valuable contribution to decision-making.
4 © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

ISO 14090:2019(E)
4.6 Subsidiarity
The organization empowers delivery of climate change adaptation at the level, scale and degree of
competence that will have the greatest effectiveness depending on the adaptation issue at hand.
4.7 Sustainability
Climate change adaptation takes into account economic, social and environmental issues equitably, and
balances the needs of present and future generations.
4.8 Synergy between adaptation and mitigation of climate change
Climate change adaptation is undertaken keeping in view the objective of minimizing climate change.
4.9 Systems thinking
Climate change adaptation processes include an understanding of cross-cutting (systemic) issues of the
organization by examining internal and external interdependencies and linkages, for example through
cause and effect relationships.
NOTE 1 Examples of interdependencies and linkages include supply chains, market forces, organizational
units, functions and physical boundaries, and the enabling environment (see Annex A).
NOTE 2 Systems thinking can be used to understand the consequences of risk being transferred.
4.10 Transparency
Reports and communications on the climate change adaptation are based on an open, understandable
and appropriate presentation of information for interested parties.
4.11 Accountability
The organization acknowledges and assumes responsibility for its climate change adaptation. It accepts
appropriate scrutiny and also accepts a duty to respond to this scrutiny.
5 Pre-planning
Pre-planning is a process that prepares the organization to implement Clauses 6 to 10. The process
is relevant when an organization initiates climate change adaptation as well as when an organization
reassesses or revises its climate change adaptation.
Pre-planning involves assessing, and where necessary establishing, the capability of the organization
to undertake Clauses 6 to 10 as well as identifying interested parties and how it engages with them.
NOTE Pre-planning can also be referred to as scoping.
An organization shall assess its capability to undertake Clauses 6 to 10 by:
— determining the leadership and broader governance required for the climate change adaptation
process of the organization;
— identifying the human resources required including those of any project team(s) involved;
— determining roles and responsibilities;
— identifying the need for financial resources;
— identifying the required levels of expertise and knowledge, as well as information and data sources;
— identifying the moments when the organization makes strategic decisions.
ISO 14090:2019(E)
The organization shall:
— document the results of its assessment, including a description of any capability gaps;
— establish a work programme that addresses these gaps;
— commit the human and financial resources to undertake this work programme;
— identify relevant interested parties;
— develop a plan to engage with relevant interested parties sufficient to understand their needs and
expectations with respect to climate change adaptation.
Consultation with interested parties can also facilitate knowledge sharing about climate change
adaptation as well as participation in the climate change adaptation process.
Interested parties can include:
— other units within the organization;
— suppliers;
— businesses involved in the sale, distribution or delivery of the organization’s products and services;
— shareholders;
— financial institutions;
— technical institutions;
— customers and consumers;
— regulatory authorities;
— local, regional or national government organizations;
— non-governmental organizations;
— local communities;
— employees;
— unions.
6 Assessing climate change impacts including opportunities
6.1 General
The organization shall assess how its activities, products and services might be impacted by climate
change.
The assessment shall be made by competent persons or organizations, either internal or external.
The assessment shall include slow onset impacts (chronic) as well as sudden impacts due to extreme
events (acute).
Climate change impacts shall be assessed comprehensively, covering cross-cutting (systemic) issues
including impacts directly and indirectly on the organization, for example:
— impacts on employee health, safety and productivity;
— impacts on air quality;
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ISO 14090:2019(E)
— damage to assets and business disruption;
— loss of coastal infrastructure;
— storm surge, flooding and contamination;
— disruption to supply chains and distribution networks;
— changes in the cost of production;
— changes in the provision of ecosystem services;
— water scarcity impacts on operations;
— changing productivity of crops and livestock;
— impacts on regulation or other government interventions;
— fiscal measures, such as incentives and punitive taxes;
— impacts on financial institutions placing a premium on investment with high risk;
— changes in the ability to raise capital due to the perceived risk;
— impacts on business opportunities;
— changes in customer requirements.
Impact assessments can involve analysing the following influencing factors:
— relevant internal and external policies;
— organizational strategies;
— life cycles of policies, plans and assets (e.g. maintenance and replacement time frames);
— climate adaptation actions taken by third parties.
The organization shall assess past and future trends in average and extreme conditions and changing
variability and seasonality of relevant climate parameters.
Climate parameters can include:
— temperature;
— precipitation;
— humidity;
— sea-level rise;
— wind speed and direction;
— freeze–thaw cycles.
Advice on where an organization can source historic and future climate data can be found at national
and international climate data centres, e.g. national regulatory authorities, state and local agencies,
universities, national weather service providers and observatories. Information can also be obtained
from numerous sources, including scientific reports, relevant climate change impact assessments,
governmental and intergovernmental publications, and databases.
NOTE The Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) can be a valuable and reliable source of data: http:
//www .wmo .int/gfcs/.
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Impact assessment methods can use information on changes in other non-climatic factors, for example:
— trade patterns;
— land use;
— use of natural resources;
— demographics;
— policy;
— socio-economic factors;
— technological change.
The organization shall document the data and information sources used and the criteria used for their
selection.
The organization shall identify whether the impacts of climate change provide opportunities.
The most important climate change impacts (including opportunities) shall be identified.
The organization shall document the process used to assess impacts and the findings of its impact
assessment.
The climate change impact assessment shall be reassessed and updated as necessary to reflect changes
in business strategy, external environment and influences, and knowledge about climate change.
6.2 Impact assessment methods
6.2.1 General
There is a range of methods that can be used by the organization to gain knowledge about climate
change impacts.
Methods to assess impacts can include:
— risk assessment;
— vulnerability assessment;
— thresholds analysis.
The organization should adopt the method(s) best suited to their needs.
Data (climate and non-climate) availability are significant challenges for climate change adaptation
decision-making. For example, observed climate data and model-based climate projections are not
always available at the desired spatial and temporal resolutions for many parts of the world.
It is valuable to first perform an impact assessment based upon historical climate trends, variability
and events that have been experienced. The focus can then be upon understanding the implications of
future climate change trends and climate events over the full lifespan of a decision.
6.2.2 Risk assessment
If a risk assessment approach is adopted, the risk assessment can include
— the consideration of vulnerabilities, exposure and climate change hazards, or
— the consideration of likelihoods and consequences.
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ISO 14090:2019(E)
6.2.3 Vulnerability assessment
If a vulnerability assessment approach is adopted, the vulnerability assessment can include:
— identification of the exposure of the organization, its activities, products and services to changes in
climate and changes in climate hazards;
— determination of the sensitivity of the organization, its activities, products and services to changes
in climate and changes in climate hazards;
— identification of climate impacts;
— consideration of the ability of the organization to manage the impact of these changes and hazards,
i.e. its adaptive capacity (see 6.3).
6.2.4 Thresholds analysis
Thresholds analysis is an approach to prioritize where and when action will be needed by understanding
the points at which a system is deemed to be no longer effective (economically, socially, technologically
or environmentally) as a result of the average or extreme climatic conditions.
If a thresholds analysis approach is adopted, the analysis can include:
— identification of the system’s constituent components, their dependencies and interdependencies;
— identification of systemic thresholds beyond which system performance will be unacceptably
altered;
— the climatic thresholds at which operations and activities reach intolerable levels of performance.
Guidance on thresholds analysis is given in Annex B.
6.3 Assessing adaptive capacity
The organization shall assess its existing adaptive capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate change,
including its:
— financial resources;
— human resources;
— technical resources;
— other organizational capabilities.
In assessing its organizational capability, the organization should analyse the extent to which the
organization is capable of:
— identifying the moments when the organization makes strategic decisions that could be impacted
by climate change;
— establishing leadership of, and commitment to, the adaptation process;
— mobilizing financial resources;
— ensuring key decision makers are made aware of the need to address climate change;
— ensuring it has, or is able to access, expertise on climate change adaptation;
— formalizing an organizational structure that defines roles and responsibilities clearly and permits
effective delivery of actions, and can remain flexible to new opportunities for improved actions;
— mobilizing human resources (including project teams and their governance);
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— engaging in meaningful and timely dialogue with interested parties;
— developing collaborative approaches to decision-making;
— ensuring it can learn from experience to improve over time, embedding knowledge and learning in
decisions;
— establishing and endorsing a work programme.
The organization shall document gaps between its existing adaptive capacity and its required adaptive
capacity.
6.4 Identifying opportunities
The organization should identify those opportunities that can arise from climate change, including
those that result from a changing climate an
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