Climate change is already reshaping economies, infrastructure and communities across Latin America and the Caribbean. Countries have made strong commitments to adapt. The challenge is turning those commitments into concrete, credible action.
That gap persists: limited technical capacity, fragmented institutional coordination, and no consistent tools for policymakers and businesses to design investments that hold up under future climate scenarios.
This initiative directly addresses those barriers. Led by ISO and funded by the Global Environment Facility, with implementation support from UNIDO, it supports public and private sector actors in Colombia, Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago to move from plans to implementation, using ISO standards as the practical framework.
Turning climate commitments into action requires a common language. ISO standards provide the framework to assess risks, align institutions and unlock climate finance.
How it works
⟶ A structured pathway
Climate adaptation is not a single action. It is a process. Four steps guide institutions from understanding climate exposure all the way through to accessing finance.
Assess
Understand climate risks and vulnerabilities
Plan
Design adaptation strategies and priorities
Implement
Embed adaptation into organizational practices
Finance
Access funding and build investment-ready projects
⟶ Two complementary pathways
The project translates this framework into real-world action through two complementary approaches:
Strengthening national capacity to apply structured, evidence-based adaptation approaches
Capacity building supports national standards bodies, public institutions and SMEs to assess climate risks, prioritize adaptation options and integrate concrete measures into operational and investment plans. Each country develops a National Standards Action Plan as a concrete output.
Enhancing awareness, coordination and multi-stakeholder engagement
National dialogues, sector-specific workshops and a regional community of practice bring together public and private actors to align priorities, strengthen collaboration and accelerate implementation.
Four standards, one integrated framework
Each standard addresses a distinct stage of the adaptation process. Together they form a complete, interlocking system, from understanding risk all the way through to accessing finance. They are the structured, globally recognized tools that make adaptation credible, comparable and fundable.
Three countries. Three distinct climate realities.
Colombia
Flooding and drought are affecting both communities and agricultural systems. Strong institutions and ambitious targets make Colombia a key model for standards-based adaptation.
Water scarcity and ecosystem pressure are increasing as climate patterns shift. The project builds on Costa Rica’s leadership in sustainability to strengthen implementation.
⟶ A shared framework
ISO standards provide a globally recognized structure that helps institutions act with consistency and credibility, and speak a common language with international climate finance institutions.
⟶ Action at every level
The project works with both policymakers and organizations on the ground, ensuring that national strategies translate into real, sector-level implementation.
⟶ Built to scale
Training, case studies and regional collaboration create a growing knowledge base structured for replication across the broader LAC region and beyond.
⟶ Inclusive by design
Capacity building activities actively support women-led businesses and promote equitable participation across sectors and communities.
⟶ Capital-efficient by design
Better adaptation planning means every unit of climate finance goes further, directing resources toward the interventions that deliver the greatest resilience per investment.
⟶ Designed to last
A Training of Trainers model equips local experts not just to apply the standards, but to train others. Knowledge grows within each country long after the project ends, creating impact that outlasts the initiative itself.
Follow our journey
This is a live, three-year initiative. Activities are already underway across the region, from training programmes and institutional engagement to early implementation work on the ground.
Explore the latest updates and milestones from the field.
This initiative brings together international organizations, technical experts and national standards bodies, each with a distinct and essential role.
ISO - Leads coordination and provides the standards framework
Global Environment Facility (GEF) - Funds the project through its Challenge Program for Adaptation Innovation
UNIDO - Provides implementation support across the three countries
Standards Council of Canada - Provides technical and policy guidance throughout implementation
ISO/TC 207 (technical committee of environmental management) - Ensures alignment with global best practices as custodians of the ISO 14090 series
ICONTEC · INTECO · TTBS - National standards bodies lead delivery at country level in Colombia, Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago
About the initiative
Standards for climate action: advancing adaptation in LAC is a three-year initiative (2026–2028) led by ISO and funded by the Global Environment Facility, with implementation support from UNIDO. The project operates in Colombia, Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago through the national standards bodies ICONTEC, INTECO and TTBS, with technical support from the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and ISO’s Technical Committee on Environmental Management. It helps turn climate adaptation commitments into practical action through the application of ISO climate adaptation standards, strengthening resilience and enabling more investable adaptation solutions.
Stay connected
This initiative is part of ISO’s broader efforts to strengthen capacity and support the uptake of International Standards worldwide.
Noelia García NebraResponsable de Sustentabilidad
