Sevilla, Spain | 3 July 2025 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), in collaboration with Social Value International (SVI), today announced the ImpactWorks Alliance at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4).
The new global initiative aims to bring organizations together that are committed to embedding sustainability into business decision-making and management systems, helping align profit with positive outcomes for people and planet.
The ImpactWorks Alliance will bring together businesses, policymakers, and standard-setters to accelerate the uptake of internationally recognized sustainability standards—particularly the forthcoming ISO/UNDP Management System Standards (MSS) for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (ISO 53001) and the SDG Impact Standards. It provides practical guidance, visibility, and peer learning to help organizations move from sustainability commitments to implementation.
“The ImpactWorks Alliance is about action,” said Marcos Neto, Assistant Administrator and Director of UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS). “We are moving beyond high-level goals and reporting frameworks to support a deeper transformation — embedding sustainability into the way decisions are made, how systems function, and how institutions deliver impact.”
The ImpactWorks Alliance addresses a well-documented gap between sustainability reporting and real performance. Through applied use of management standards, the initiative aims to improve how organizations govern, operate and align with SDG priorities — strengthening the enabling environment for sustainable finance.
“This initiative reflects ISO’s commitment to delivering practical, consensus-based standards that help institutions achieve real-world impact,” said Javier García Díaz, ISO Vice President for Technical Management and Director General of UNE. “Millions of organizations world-wide use ISO standards to improve their performance and with this initiative we can accelerate the transition from sustainability intention to credible implementation.”
The launch event featured a high-level fireside chat with leaders from Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.; the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF); Bureau Veritas; Ferrovial S.A.; the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN); and Association Sénégalaise de Normalisation (ASN). Speakers shared examples of how sustainability standards are being integrated into operations, governance and investment strategies across sectors and regions.
By embedding sustainability standards directly into management systems, the Alliance offers a clear, streamlined pathway for organizations to operationalize their sustainability goals. This practical integration increases efficiency, reduces duplication, and supports more consistent, data-driven decision-making — helping businesses deliver meaningful impact while improving performance and resilience.
The Alliance now enters a global co-design phase (July-December 2025), where early participants will shape its learning agenda, engagement model, and implementation support offerings. The full operational launch is expected in early 2026, aligned with the release of ISO 53001.
Organizations interested in joining the co-design phase, beginning in July 2025, are invited to contact Şebnem Şener, Head of Private Finance for the SDGs at UNDP, at sebnem.sener@undp.org.
