What are the most common environmental monitoring standards and protocols in your industry or sector?

In environmental remote sensing and GIS, key standards include ISO 19115 for geographic information metadata, ISO 14001 for environmental management, and GCOS guidelines for climate observations. CEOS promotes international coordination of Earth observation data, while OGC standards like WMS, WFS, and WCS ensure geospatial data interoperability. The Landsat and Sentinel programs provide guidelines for satellite data acquisition, and MODIS protocols standardize global monitoring data. UNFCCC guidelines set reporting standards for climate impacts, and the INSPIRE directive supports spatial data infrastructure in the EU. These ensure accurate, reliable data for analysis and decision-making.

I've worked in the construction sector. Here are the most common environmental monitoring standards and protocols are ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 Standards; Environmental Impact Assessment; Construction Environmental Management Plan; Contractor Environmental Management Plan; National and international Guidelines; Environmental Conservation Act; Environmental Conservation Rules; Chemical Management etc

A série ISO 14000 é uma das normas mais reconhecidas para monitoramento ambiental, abrangendo várias facetas dos sistemas de gestão ambiental, incluindo planejamento, implementação, avaliação e melhoria contínua. Ela oferece uma estrutura e diretrizes para que as organizações gerenciem e monitorem seus impactos ambientais, atendam aos requisitos legais e mostrem seu compromisso com a sustentabilidade. A série abrange normas específicas para auditoria ambiental, avaliação de desempenho, análise do ciclo de vida, contabilização de emissões de gases de efeito estufa e rotulagem ambiental.

Aligned with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and compatible with most GHG programmes, the ISO 14064 series gives specifications for the quantification, monitoring and validation/verification of greenhouse gas emissions.

In marine environmental management an essential standard is ISO 16665:2014 Water quality — Guidelines for quantitative sampling and sample processing of marine soft-bottom macrofauna. The standard covers advise and criteria for the development of sampling programs, requirements for equipment, field sampling and treatment, sorting, species identification, and storage of samples. The standard also touches indirectly on bioassay sub-sampling, deep water or offshore sampling, in situ studies, non-benthic organisms, sampling in estuaries and the intertidal, meiofaunal analysis, dredge and sledge sampling, SCUBA sampling and statistical design. The standard also has recommendations for the accuracy of fixing sampling positions.

Environmental monitoring standards are crucial for ensuring sustainable operations. EPA methods are commonly utilized, particularly for air quality assessments. However, beyond just employing these methods, ensuring the quality of results and data requires meticulous attention to several factors. These include: - rigorous calibration and validation of instruments, - adherence to sampling protocols, - meticulous record-keeping, - qualified and trained personnel and - regular proficiency testing. This ensures that reliable environmental data are generated, crucial for informed decision-making and sustainable practices.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sets key standards for environmental monitoring and conservation. The **IUCN Red List of Threatened Species** assesses global species conservation status. **IUCN Protected Area Categories** classify protected areas based on management objectives. **Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs)** identify crucial regions for biodiversity, guiding conservation priorities. The **Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas** recognizes well-managed protected areas, promoting best practices. The **Ecosystem Red List** evaluates risks to ecosystems, informing conservation strategies. These standards support global biodiversity and ecosystem conservation efforts.

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is a global framework for assessing the risk of ecosystem collapse, providing essential information for conservation efforts. The list serves as a first lline indicator for global biodiversity frameworks, helping track progress towards conservation targets and inform restoration actions. It also informs policy-making, risk of inpact by industry, as well as sea use and land use management. It evaluates terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems based on scientific criteria, and gives descriptions of ecosystems, status assessments, and where to find the ecosystems. It follows the cathegories of other IUCN lists from "Collapsed (CO): No known remnants", to "Least Concern (LC): Low risk of disappearance".

The IUCN Red List is a standard for assessing the extinction risk of species. The different categories are based on criteria like population size, rate of decline, area of geographic distribution, and the fragmentation degree the species population and distribution. Extinct (EX): No known individuals. Extinct in the Wild (EW): Only survives in captivity or outside historic range. Critically Endangered (CR): Extremely high risk of extinction. Endangered (EN): Very high risk of extinction. Vulnerable (VU): High risk of extinction. Near Threatened (NT): Likely to become endangered soon. Least Concern (LC): Low risk; widespread and abundant. Data Deficient (DD): Insufficient data for assessment. Not Evaluated (NE): Not yet assessed.

Norway has developed a list for evaluating threatened Habitats based on the IUCN criteria that is considered for all activities that can affect nature. The Norwegian Red List for Ecosystems and Habitat Types assesses the risk of ecosystems and habitats disappearing from Norway. Categories are based on criteria like habitat condition, threats, and the extent of the habitat. Collapsed (CO): No known remnants. Critically Endangered (CR): Extremely high risk of disappearance. Endangered (EN): High risk of disappearance. Vulnerable (VU): Moderate risk of disappearance. Near Threatened (NT): Likely to become threatened soon. Least Concern (LC): Low risk of disappearance. Not Evaluated (NE): Not yet assessed.

Always, we should follow compliance with our national and international standards. If we properly follow the standards, our environmental sustainability will be ensured.

There may also be additional non-mandatory standards that enforce stricter environmental criteria, offering industries the benefit of demonstrating higher sustainability compared to competitors. Examples include the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) for sustainable farming and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for sustainable fisheries. These certifications require producers too adhere to rigorous standards in environmental protection, animal welfare, and social responsibility. By achieving ASC or MSC certification, companies can differentiate themselves in the market, showing commitment to sustainability and becoming more attractive to eco-conscious consumers and eviromental managment.

World Bank and FMI have their own standards. It is possible we don't agree completely with these two standards but they are requisites adquired during the approval for some projects. So, we should also consider them in the structure of our monitoring programs.

Nature in Norway (NiN) is a framework for systematically classifying and describing Norway's diverse natural environments. It is a standardized approach to categorizing nature types, landscapes, and ecological processes using clear criteria. NiN integrates scientific knowledge to provide a comprehensive description of nature variation, including biodiversity, landforms, and ecological dynamics. The system is designed to be used for mapping of habitats, geology, landforms, environmental assessment and biodiversity management. This secures a consistent and objective basis for understanding and managing natural resources.