Standards for Standards: ISO and ANSI

We’re awash in standards and certifications that help set credible definitions for “green.” Helping to govern the world of standards and certifications is the International Organization for Standardization (known as “ISO,” from the Greek word for “equal”). ISO, an international, nongovernmental standard-setting body, was founded in 1947, and includes one national representative from each of 163 nations. The U.S. is represented by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Canada by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). ISO defines terms and develops worldwide standards that frequently become law or form the basis of industry norms.