September 2025 marks a strategically important period in ISO and IEC standardization, with strong momentum across circular economy, trusted data usage, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, innovation, and human-centered governance. The month’s activity reflects a clear shift: standards are no longer only about control and compliance, but about enabling systemic transitions — from linear to circular business models, from opaque AI to trustworthy AI, and from isolated data use to governed data collaboration.
For top management, these developments signal where future regulation, market expectations, and organizational capabilities are converging: carbon markets, circular value networks, supply chain resilience, data trust, and responsible digital transformation.
Newly published standards
ISO/IEC TR 21221:2025 – Artificial intelligence — Beneficial AI systems
Establishes principles and characteristics for AI systems that deliver positive societal, economic, and environmental outcomes.
ISO/TS 19387:2025 – Service excellence — Maturity model
Provides organizations with a structured framework for assessing and improving service excellence capabilities.
ISO/IEC TS 6254:2025 – AI explainability and interpretability
Defines objectives and approaches for making machine learning and AI systems understandable, transparent, and accountable.
ISO/IEC TS 27564:2025 – Privacy protection — Privacy engineering models
Supports systematic integration of privacy into system design and architecture.
Draft International Standards (DIS): Nearing publication
ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 24765 – Systems and software engineering — Vocabulary
A cornerstone reference aligning terminology across software and systems engineering disciplines.
Committee Drafts (CD): Key Standards in Progress
ISO/IEC CD 22678 – Cloud computing — Guidance for policy development
Supports organizations in defining governance and policy frameworks for cloud adoption and operation.
ISO/CD 45001 – Occupational health and safety management systems (revision)
Continues the evolution of ISO’s flagship OH&S standard, reflecting new work patterns and risk profiles.
Working Drafts (WD): Early-stage developments
ISO/WD 56002 – Innovation management systems (2nd edition)
A significant revision of ISO’s innovation management standard, strengthening links between strategy, culture, governance, and value creation.
ISO/WD 14077-2 – Chain of custody in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Introduces traceability mechanisms into environmental impact assessment, enabling credible sustainability claims.
ISO/WD 28018-2 – Supply chain security management
Provides implementation guidance for ISO 28000, addressing growing geopolitical and operational risks in supply chains.
ISO/WD 23726-2 – Ontology-based interoperability — Vocabulary
Lays semantic foundations for automation, interoperability, and machine-to-machine understanding.
ISO/WD 25524-2 – Innovative logistics — Vocabulary
Creates shared language for emerging logistics models and digital supply chains.
New work items (AWI, PWI, NP): New proposals to watch
ISO/AWI 52007-1 / -3 / -5 – Indoor environmental parameters
A comprehensive set of standards addressing indoor climate, thermal comfort, and air quality — linking energy efficiency with human well-being.
ISO/IEC NP Guide 79 – Gender-responsive standards
Guides integrating gender considerations into standard development processes.
ISO/AWI 30300 – Records management — Core concepts and vocabulary
Re-establishes foundational terminology for governance, accountability, and information lifecycle management.
ISO/IEC PWI TR 26239 – Cybersecurity education and training
Addresses the human dimension of cybersecurity, focusing on competence development and organizational readiness.
ISO/IEC PWI 27034 – Application security
Strengthens security practices at the application layer, where many cyber risks materialize.
ISO/IEC AWI TS 42119-8 – AI testing — Generative AI quality assessment
Introduces quality criteria for prompt-based generative AI systems, a rapidly expanding area of risk and opportunity.
ISO/IEC AWI 25985 – Trusted data usage
Defines principles for responsible, secure, and value-driven data use.
ISO/IEC AWI 24927 – Evaluation of data usage in organizations
Provides assessment frameworks to measure data usage maturity and compliance.
ISO/IEC AWI 31310-1 – Trustworthiness ontology — Framework
Establishes a shared conceptual model for trust across digital systems and services.
ISO/AWI 59001 – Circular economy management systems — Requirements
A landmark management system standard that formalizes circular economy principles into auditable organizational practices.
ISO/AWI 59010 – Circular economy — Business model and value network transition
Provides practical guidance for redesigning value creation, partnerships, and revenue models.
ISO/AWI TS 32214 – Data model for carbon credit markets
Enables interoperability, transparency, and trust in carbon credit issuance and trading.
Looking Ahead
September 2025 reinforces a clear pattern: ISO and IEC are embedding sustainability, trust, and responsibility directly into management systems, data models, and digital architectures. Circular economy management systems, trusted data usage, carbon market data models, and AI quality assessment are not isolated initiatives — they are building blocks of a new operational reality.
For top management, the message is clear: future competitiveness depends on governance-ready innovation. Organizations that align early with these standards will be better positioned to manage regulatory pressure, build trust, and scale sustainably.
At StandardsHero, we continue to translate these developments into strategic guidance for leaders navigating circular transformation, digital trust, and system-level change.
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