scope:

This Guide provides guidance on addressing environmental issues in product standards. It is primarily
intended for product standards writers. Its purpose is
. to outline the relationship between the provisions in product standards and the environmental aspects
and impacts of the product,
. to assist in drafting or revising provisions in product standards in order to reduce potential adverse
environmental impacts at different stages of the entire product life-cycle,
NOTE 1 See Annex B for examples.
. to emphasize that taking into account environmental issues in product standards is a complex process
and requires balancing competing priorities,
. to recommend the use of life-cycle thinking when defining environmental provisions for a product for
which a standard is being drafted, and
. to promote the future development of relevant sector guides for addressing environmental issues in
product standards by standards writers, consistent with the principles and approaches of this Guide.
NOTE 2 See Annex A.
Whenever a new product standard is drafted or an existing product standard is revised or intended to be
revised, the project managers and their technical committee chairman/convenors are encouraged to actively
promote the application of this Guide. Furthermore, the experts in their standards committees are encouraged
to provide comments not only on technical, but also on environmental issues of the standards under their
consideration.
In order to take account of the diversity of products and their specific environmental impacts, as well as the
need for relevant environmental knowledge, it is useful for standards writers to involve environmental experts
in the work. Committee and working group leadership might wish to take into account other relevant, current
sector-specific guidance and environmental provisions identified in related standards.
Unless they are closely related with environmental issues, this Guide does not address issues of occupational
health and safety or consumer safety as separate or specific aspects of the product life-cycle. Standards
writers can find guidance on these issues in other guides.
NOTE 3 See other guides listed in the Bibliography.