ISO 37125:2024

International
Standard
ISO 37125
First edition
Sustainable cities and
2024-10
communities — Environmental,
social and governance (ESG)
indicators for cities
Reference number
© ISO 2024
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Published in Switzerland
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Contents Page
Foreword .xii
Introduction .xiii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 ESG reporting for cities — General. 4
5 ESG indicators . 5
5.1 General .5
5.2 E — Environmental .5
5.3 S — Social .5
5.4 G — Governance .5
6 Environmental indicators . 6
6.1 Final energy consumption of public buildings per year (GJ/m ) .6
6.1.1 General .6
6.1.2 Indicator requirements .6
6.2 Total residential electrical energy use per capita (kWh/year) .6
6.2.1 General .6
6.2.2 Indicator requirements .6
6.2.3 Data sources .6
6.3 Percentage of total electricity consumption from renewable sources .7
6.3.1 General .7
6.3.2 Indicator requirements .7
6.4 Electricity consumption of public street lighting per kilometre of lighted street (kWh/
year) .7
6.4.1 General .7
6.4.2 Indicator requirements .7
6.5 Square metres of city owned/operated green roof space as a percentage of all roof
space of all city-owned/operated buildings .7
6.5.1 General .7
6.5.2 Indicator requirements .8
6.6 Number of electric vehicle (EV) charging station ports per registered electric vehicle
(EV).8
6.6.1 General .8
6.6.2 Indicator requirements .8
6.6.3 Data sources .9
6.7 Number of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle charging nozzles per personal hydrogen fuel cell
vehicle .9
6.7.1 General .9
6.7.2 Indicator requirements .9
6.8 Fine particulate matter (PM2,5) concentration .9
6.8.1 General .9
6.8.2 Indicator requirements .9
6.9 Percentage of designated natural protection areas .10
6.9.1 General .10
6.9.2 Indicator requirements .10
6.10 Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions measured in tonnes per capita .10
6.10.1 General .10
6.10.2 Indicator requirements .10
6.11 Number of real-time remote air quality monitoring stations per square kilometre (km ) .11
6.11.1 General .11
6.11.2 Indicator requirements .11
6.11.3 Data sources . 12
6.12 Percentage of city land area covered by tree canopy . 12

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6.12.1 General . 12
6.12.2 Indicator requirements . 12
6.12.3 Data sources . 12
6.12.4 Data interpretation . 12
6.13 Annual expenditure allocated to ecosystem restoration in the city as a percentage of
total city expenditures . 12
6.13.1 General . 12
6.13.2 Indicator requirements . 12
6.13.3 Data sources . 13
6.13.4 Data interpretation . 13
6.14 Percentage of city area impacted by either wildfire or forest fire, or both . 13
6.14.1 General . 13
6.14.2 Indicator requirements . 13
6.14.3 Data interpretation .14
6.15 Percentage of households with smart energy meters .14
6.15.1 General .14
6.15.2 Indicator requirements .14
6.15.3 Data sources .14
6.16 Percentage of households with smart water meters .14
6.16.1 General .14
6.16.2 Indicator requirements . 15
6.16.3 Data sources . 15
6.17 Percentage recycled solid waste . 15
6.17.1 General . 15
6.17.2 Indicator requirements . 15
6.17.3 Data sources .16
6.18 Percentage of solid waste disposed of in a sanitary landfill .16
6.18.1 General .16
6.18.2 Indicator requirements .16
6.18.3 Data sources .17
6.19 Percentage of solid waste treated in energy-from-waste plants .17
6.19.1 General .17
6.19.2 Indicator requirements .17
6.19.3 Data sources .17
6.20 Percentage of solid waste biologically treated and used as compost or biogas .18
6.20.1 General .18
6.20.2 Indicator requirements .18
6.20.3 Data sources .18
6.21 Percentage of solid waste disposed of in an open dump .18
6.21.1 General .18
6.21.2 Supporting indicator requirements .19
6.21.3 Data sources .19
6.22 Percentage of solid waste disposed of by other means .19
6.22.1 General .19
6.22.2 Indicator requirements .19
6.22.3 Data sources . 20
6.23 Household hazardous waste generation per capita (tonnes) . 20
6.23.1 General . 20
6.23.2 Indicator requirements . 20
6.23.3 Data sources .21
6.24 Percentage of recycled household hazardous waste .21
6.24.1 General .21
6.24.2 Supporting indicator requirement .21
6.24.3 Data sources .21
6.25 Percentage of commuters using a travel mode to work other than a personal vehicle .21
6.25.1 General .21
6.25.2 Indicator requirements . 22
6.25.3 Data sources . 22
6.26 Percentage of registered low-emission vehicles . 22

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6.26.1 General . 22
6.26.2 Indicator requirements . 22
6.26.3 Data sources . 23
6.27 Percentage of the city’s bus fleet that does not burn or otherwise consume fuel . 23
6.27.1 General . 23
6.27.2 Indicator requirements . 23
6.27.3 Data sources . 23
6.27.4 Data interpretation . 23
6.28 Annual percentage of expenditures attributed to urban agriculture . 23
6.28.1 General . 23
6.28.2 Indicator requirements . 23
6.28.3 Data sources .24
6.29 Green area owned or operated by the city (hectares) per 100 000 population .24
6.29.1 General .24
6.29.2 Indicator requirements .24
6.29.3 Data sources . 25
6.30 Annual flood prevention expenditure as a percentage of total expenditures . 25
6.30.1 General . 25
6.30.2 Indicator requirements . 25
6.31 Percentage of wastewater receiving centralized treatment . 25
6.31.1 General . 25
6.31.2 Indicator requirements . 25
6.32 Percentage of separated storm and sanitary sewers . 26
6.32.1 General . 26
6.32.2 Indicator requirements . 26
6.33 Total domestic water consumption per capita (litres/day) .27
6.33.1 General .27
6.33.2 Indicator requirements .27
6.33.3 Data sources .27
6.33.4 Data interpretation .27
6.34 Total water consumption per capita (litres/day) .27
6.34.1 General .27
6.34.2 Indicator requirements . 28
6.34.3 Data sources . 28
6.35 Percentage of water loss (unaccounted for water) . 28
6.35.1 General . 28
6.35.2 Indicator requirements . 28
6.35.3 Data sources . 28
6.36 Environmental profile indicators . 29
6.36.1 Annual frequency of extreme rainfall events . 29
6.36.2 Annual frequency of extreme snowfall events . 29
6.36.3 Annual frequency of extreme heat events . 30
6.36.4 Annual frequency of extreme cold events . 30
6.36.5 Annual frequency of extreme wind events .31
6.36.6 Annual frequency of flood events .31
6.36.7 Heating degree days .32
6.36.8 Cooling degree days .32
6.36.9 Average annual snowfall . 33
6.36.10 Average annual rainfall . 33
6.36.11 Average annual temperature . 33
6.36.12 Number of personal automobiles per capita. 33
6.36.13 Number of two-wheeled motorized vehicles per capita . 34
7 Social indicators .34
7.1 Unemployment rate . 34
7.1.1 General . 34
7.1.2 Indicator requirements . 34
7.2 Percentage of persons in full-time employment . 35
7.2.1 General . 35

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7.2.2 Indicator requirements . 35
7.3 Youth unemployment rate . 35
7.3.1 General . 35
7.3.2 Indicator requirements . 36
7.4 Employment level . 36
7.4.1 General . 36
7.4.2 Indicator requirements . 36
7.4.3 Data sources . 36
7.4.4 Data interpretation . 36
7.5 Average disposable household income.37
7.5.1 General .37
7.5.2 Indicator requirements .37
7.5.3 Data sources .37
7.6 Average annual consumer price index .37
7.6.1 General .37
7.6.2 Indicator requirements .37
7.7 Annual percentage change in average annual total electrical bill for residential
customers per 500 kWh .37
7.7.1 General .37
7.7.2 Indicator requirements . 38
7.8 Annual percentage change in food costs . 38
7.8.1 General . 38
7.8.2 Indicator requirements . 38
7.9 Percentage of students completing secondary education — Adjusted cohort rate . 38
7.9.1 General . 38
7.9.2 Indicator requirements . 38
7.9.3 Data sources . 39
7.10 Primary education student–teacher ratio . 39
7.10.1 General . 39
7.10.2 Indicator requirements . 39
7.10.3 Data sources . 40
7.10.4 Data interpretation . 40
7.11 Number of higher education degrees per 100 000 population . 40
7.11.1 General . 40
7.11.2 Indicator requirements . 40
7.11.3 Data sources . 40
7.12 Number of in-patient hospital beds per 100 000 population . 40
7.12.1 General . 40
7.12.2 Indicator requirements . 40
7.12.3 Data sources .41
7.13 Number of physicians per 100 000 population .41
7.13.1 General .41
7.13.2 Data sources .41
7.14 Number of nursing personnel per 100 000 population .41
7.14.1 General .41
7.14.2 Indicator requirements .42
7.15 Average emergency department wait time for physician initial assessment (minutes) .42
7.15.1 General .42
7.15.2 Indicator requirements .42
7.16 Number of infectious disease outbreaks per year .42
7.16.1 General .42
7.16.2 Indicator requirements .43
7.16.3 Data sources .43
7.16.4 Data interpretation .43
7.17 Percentage of population living in affordable housing .43
7.17.1 General .43
7.17.2 Indicator requirements .43
7.17.3 Data sources .43
7.18 Residential rental dwelling units as a percentage of total dwelling units . 44

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7.18.1 General . 44
7.18.2 Indicator requirements . 44
7.19 Average wait time for either subsidised or social housing units, or both (months) . 44
7.19.1 General .
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