Overview
IEC GUIDE 123:2025 provides essential provisions for the assignment and management of horizontal functions within the area of environment, specifically guiding the implementation of IEC Guide 108. Developed by the IEC Advisory Committee on Environmental Aspects (ACEA), this Guide standardizes processes for IEC technical committees to request, develop, and manage horizontal functions and related publications that address environmental considerations. IEC GUIDE 123:2025 plays a vital role in ensuring that environmental topics are handled consistently and coherently across IEC standards, avoiding contradictory requirements and duplication of work.
Key Topics
IEC GUIDE 123:2025 covers a broad scope of subjects within environmental horizontal functions, grouped by topic, to establish common practices and terminology across IEC committees. Key topics include:
Each subject can serve as the basis for committees to request an environment horizontal function (ENV-HF), giving them the mandate to produce horizontal publications relevant to multiple areas of electrotechnology.
Applications
IEC GUIDE 123:2025 is practically applied by:
- Technical Committees: Committees can request the assignment of horizontal functions in specific environmental topics, enabling them to develop and maintain environment horizontal publications. This ensures environmental requirements are universally integrated across product standards.
- ACEA Oversight: The Advisory Committee on Environmental Aspects reviews requests, recommends assignments to the Standardization Management Board (SMB), and oversees implementation and revision of assigned functions.
- Harmonization of Standards: Product committees must apply relevant environment horizontal publications in their standards development, promoting uniformity and consistency throughout IEC’s publications.
- Process Optimization: By creating clear procedures for requesting and assigning horizontal functions, committees minimize overlaps, streamline responsibilities, and ensure comprehensive coverage of environmental topics.
The Guide supports a structured approach to environmental standardization, crucial for industries dealing with electrotechnical products and systems and aiming to meet environmental objectives efficiently.
Related Standards
Several related IEC Guides complement IEC GUIDE 123:2025 by addressing other horizontal functions critical to electrotechnical standardization:
- IEC Guide 108 – Guidelines for ensuring the coherence of IEC publications - Horizontal functions, horizontal publications and their application
- IEC Guide 109 – Environmental aspects - Inclusion in electrotechnical product standards
- IEC Guide 121 – Securing credible environmentally relevant performance assessment methods in standards
- IEC Guide 118 – Covers horizontal functions in energy efficiency (not within the scope of IEC GUIDE 123)
- IEC Guide 107 – Covers electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) horizontal functions
Practical Value
By providing clear, standardized procedures for the assignment and management of environmental horizontal functions, IEC GUIDE 123:2025:
- Promotes consistency and coherence in addressing environmental topics across all IEC standards
- Prevents duplication and conflicts between committees
- Facilitates collaboration and efficient knowledge sharing
- Streamlines the integration of environmental considerations in technical standards, supporting sustainability and global environmental objectives
Technical committees, product standard developers, and organizations aiming to harmonize environmental aspects in electrotechnical products will find IEC GUIDE 123:2025 invaluable for comprehensive and systematic standardization in the area of environment.