Overview
ISO/TR 7016:2025 - Connection between the contributions of civil engineering works to sustainability and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals - is a Technical Report from ISO that maps how sustainability assessment indicators for civil engineering works (CEW) relate to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It does not define assessment criteria; instead, it links the indicators used in EN 17472 and ISO 21928-2 (environmental, social and economic performance) to SDG targets to help communicate assessment results and demonstrate CEW contributions to the SDGs.
Key topics and technical focus
- Scope and methodology: explains the approach used to establish linkages between CEW sustainability indicators and SDG targets.
- Indicator mapping: detailed relations between environmental, social and economic indicators from EN 17472 and ISO 21928-2 and each of the 17 SDGs.
- Management mechanisms: how management practices and governance of CEW influence SDG-related outcomes.
- Terms and normative references: definitions and referenced documents supporting consistent interpretation.
- Use limitations: clarifies that ISO/TR 7016:2025 is for communication and interpretation - it does not prescribe assessment rules or thresholds.
Practical applications
ISO/TR 7016:2025 is a practical tool for translating technical sustainability assessment results into the universally recognized SDG language. Typical applications:
- Stakeholder reporting: Convert EN 17472 / ISO 21928-2 assessment outcomes into SDG-aligned statements for clients, regulators and the public.
- Strategic planning: Help owners and public authorities prioritize design or retrofit measures that demonstrably support specific SDG targets.
- Sustainability communication: Enable engineers, consultants and project teams to present civil works’ environmental, social and economic impacts in SDG terms.
- Policy and procurement: Inform green procurement criteria and infrastructure policy by clarifying which CEW indicators contribute to which SDGs.
- Performance benchmarking: Support comparisons and benchmarking across projects using a common SDG framing.
Who should use this standard
- Civil and environmental engineers, infrastructure designers and contractors
- Sustainability assessors and certification bodies applying EN 17472 or ISO 21928-2
- Infrastructure owners, asset managers and public agencies
- Policy makers, procurement officers and sustainability consultants
- NGOs and researchers translating technical results into SDG reporting
Related standards
- EN 17472 - Sustainability assessment methodology for civil engineering works (indicator set and assessment method)
- ISO 21928-2 - Assessment of sustainability performance of civil engineering works (part referenced)
- UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - target framework for global sustainability
ISO/TR 7016:2025 streamlines the connection between technical sustainability indicators and global development goals, improving transparency and stakeholder understanding when reporting CEW sustainability performance. Keywords: ISO/TR 7016:2025, civil engineering works, sustainability, SDGs, EN 17472, ISO 21928-2, sustainability indicators, environmental, social, economic.