Overview
ISO/TS 14092:2020 - "Adaptation to climate change - Requirements and guidance on adaptation planning for local governments and communities" - is a technical specification from ISO that provides structured guidance to help local governments and communities prepare, plan and implement climate change adaptation. It supports adaptation based on vulnerability, impacts and risk assessments, and guides stakeholders through prioritization, plan development, implementation, monitoring and updating of a local adaptation plan.
Key topics and requirements
ISO/TS 14092:2020 structures adaptation planning into clear stages and principles. Key topics and requirements include:
- Principles for adaptation planning: accountability, continual learning and improvement, flexibility, mainstreaming and embedding, practicality, prioritization, proportionality, relevance and transparency.
- Pre‑planning: framing adaptation, defining roles and responsibilities (core decision-making team, facilitation team, interested parties), agreement and approval processes.
- Assessing impacts and risks: identifying climate drivers, conducting impact, vulnerability and risk assessments, thresholds analysis, mapping areas/sectors where adaptation is needed, assessing adaptive capacity and identifying uncertainties and opportunities.
- Formulating the adaptation plan: identifying, assessing and prioritizing adaptation measures; stakeholder engagement in decision-making; documenting choices; defining scope, system boundaries and presentation of the local adaptation plan.
- Implementation: leadership and commitment, preparation for implementation, and development of implementation plans.
- Monitoring, evaluation, reporting and communication: setting indicators, monitoring progress, evaluating effectiveness and communicating outcomes to stakeholders.
- Informative annexes: example tables of contents for local adaptation plans, tools for planning, and indicators for monitoring and evaluation.
Practical applications and users
This specification is designed for practical use by:
- Local governments (city, municipal and regional planners)
- Community organizations and councils
- Emergency management and public works departments
- Sustainability and resilience officers
- Consultants and NGOs supporting adaptation planning
- Stakeholders and citizens engaged in local decision-making
Practical uses:
- Developing or updating a local adaptation plan tailored to local hazards (flooding, heatwaves, coastal erosion, drought, etc.)
- Structuring stakeholder engagement and governance for adaptation
- Performing vulnerability, impact and risk assessments to set adaptation priorities
- Defining monitoring indicators and evaluation frameworks to track progress
Related guidance
ISO/TS 14092:2020 was prepared by ISO/TC 207 (Environmental management), SC 7. It complements broader environmental and climate-related guidance for organizations and public authorities seeking systematic, evidence-based approaches to local climate adaptation.
Keywords: ISO/TS 14092:2020, adaptation planning, local governments, climate change adaptation, vulnerability assessment, risk assessment, adaptation plan, monitoring and evaluation.