Friday, 14 April 2023

Standards Council of Canada & World Council on City Data Collaborate on a New ISO Standard Focusing on ESG Indicators for Cities

   

 April 14, 2023

Toronto, Ontario

On a global scale, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles are at the core of the discussion on responsible investment. One of the significant stakeholders in ESG-driven investments across Canada and globally are cities. Municipal leaders nationwide (and globally) recognize the importance of high-calibre data to support and validate the ESG-focused commitments made through their debenture programs with their investors. Similarly, the investment community is searching for standardized criteria and trusted measurement platforms to make investment decisions and monitor the year-over-year impacts of these investments. A new, Canadian-led ISO standard – ISO 37125: Environmental, Social and Governance Indicators for Cities – is emerging as a solution to this challenge.

"From our conversations with city leaders, it has become clear that a standardized set of ESG-focussed key performance indicators (KPIs) are needed to meet the demand by cities to embrace ESG-focussed financial instruments. Specifically, these city leaders require high-calibre KPIs to respond to ESG compliance criteria set by institutional investors," states World Council on City Data (WCCD) President and CEO Dr. Patricia McCarney. "From experience in leading the design of the ISO 37120 Series, ISO standardization emerged as a natural tool to overcome that challenge. Through the leadership of partners like SCC and forward-thinking municipalities like the City of Toronto, ISO 37125 will help cities obtain ESG-focused investment as a clear path towards a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient future."

Following the successful collaboration that resulted in the development of the ISO 37120 Series, the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and the WCCD have partnered to contribute to the development of ISO 37125. The results of this months-long consultation process will bolster the ongoing work of the Canadian Mirror Committee of ISO/TC 268, which is leading the development of this standard.

"Standardization offers immense value in helping public and private sectors establish ESG frameworks to build a more sustainable future," says Chantal Guay, CEO of SCC. "We are committed to advancing solutions for ESG-driven investment and are proud of our partnership with WCCD, which under its CEO, Dr. Patricia McCarney, created measurable change on a global scale. Together, we will continue to leverage Canada's leadership to collaborate with additional partners in the private sector and across all levels of government."

Convening discussions with municipal and private sector investment leaders across Canada as part of the WCCD-SCC collaboration, one of the most vocal champions of ISO 37125 is the City of Toronto's Chief Financial Officer, Heather Taylor. "The City of Toronto is committed to a ten-year capital plan which aligns with ESG principles to secure a sustainable and resilient future for Toronto residents, businesses and visitors," states Ms. Taylor. "Our work with the WCCD – and more than eight years of ISO-standardized city data – is an essential part of our annual ESG report and has become a critical benchmark for the City's sustainable debenture program investors. ISO 37125 will be another valuable and informative resource as we work with investors to secure the capital required to fulfill Toronto's commitments towards greater sustainability and resiliency."

In a recent news release, following a ceremony acknowledging the City of Toronto's eight-year collaborative partnership with the WCCD, Toronto has become the first city globally to announce its intent to implement ISO 37125 through its partnership with the WCCD.

About the WCCD

The WCCD was founded in 2014 and helps communities of all sizes worldwide embrace standardized, independently verified and globally comparable city data to become more sustainable, resilient, prosperous, inclusive and smart. ISO 37120, ISO 37122, ISO 37123 and the soon-to-be published ISO 37125, now called the ISO 37120 Series, is a Canadian-led, global innovation and is being implemented in more than forty countries.

About the SCC

Since 1970, the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) has helped make life safer, healthier, more prosperous and sustainable for people, communities and businesses in Canada through the power of standardization. SCC works with a vast network of partners nationally and around the world, acting as Canada's voice on standards and accreditation on the international stage, including as a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). As the country's leading accreditation organization, SCC creates market confidence at home and abroad by ensuring conformity assessment bodies meet the highest expectations. In all these ways, SCC opens a world of possibilities.

 

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Patricia McCarney

WCCD President & CEO

patricia.mccarney@globalcities.ca

Tuesday, 11 April 2023

WCCD & Statistics Canada Renew Longstanding Partnership

   

 


April 11, 2023
Ottawa, Ontario 

Hosted by the Chief Statistician of Statistics Canada, Mr. Anil Arora, the WCCD President and CEO, Dr. Patricia McCarney, and members of the WCCD Team were in Ottawa to participate in a signing ceremony to renew the longstanding partnership between the two organizations. 
 
“For the WCCD, Statistics Canada is a critical partner. Both organizations share a common goal to equip cities with the critical data needed to increase prosperity while improving service delivery for residents,” stated Dr. McCarney. “Signing this partnership renewal is important not only for the WCCD but for the more than thirty cities across the country embracing the ISO 37120 Series of Standards on City Data. It helps to harmonize data sources and enables apples-to-apples comparisons while equipping city leaders with the information they need as they build back from the challenges of COVID-19.” 
 
The WCCD has been collaborating actively with Statistics Canada since 2017. Beyond the high-calibre data that this partnership provides for Canadian municipalities, it is also an opportunity to advance shared local and global agendas, including, for example, a mutual commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, this renewed partnership will seek to work across both partners – and with Canadian municipalities – to create “data-driven stories” highlighting challenges and successes across the country. 
 
Statistics Canada will also contribute advice on the development of the newest ISO standard for cities - ISO 37125 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Indicators for Cities - alongside the Government of Canada and, in particular, the Standards Council of Canada. Working with partners across all levels of government – and throughout the private sector – the WCCD is working to ensure that ISO 37125 will help to create a more effective mechanism to enable municipalities to unlock sustainable, private-sector finance underpinned by the principles of ESG. 
 
For more information, please contact: 
 
Dr. Patricia McCarney
President & CEO
World Council on City Data

Thursday, 30 March 2023

City of Toronto receives Platinum-level certification from the World Council on City Data for the eighth consecutive year

   

The WCCD President & CEO, Dr. Patricia McCarney (far right), presented (from left) the City of Toronto CFO Heather Taylor, City Manager Paul Johnson and Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie with four years of WCCD ISO 37120 Platinum Certifications from the WCCD. 

The original release can be accessed here.

March 30, 2023

Today, the City of Toronto received Platinum-level certification from the World Council on City Data (WCCD) for implementing ISO 37120 (Indicators for Sustainable Cities) for years 2018 to 2021, resulting in Toronto receiving this Platinum certification for eight consecutive years.

The certifications were presented to Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park), Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Heather Taylor, and City Manager Paul Johnson by WCCD President and CEO Dr. Patricia McCarney during a presentation at City Council.

Toronto is among more than 100 global cities – including 30 Canadian – in the WCCD network that collect, share and use data to make effective and transformative decisions. Platinum Certification is the highest level of recognition by the WCCD and underlines the City’s commitment to high-calibre, globally standardized and independently verified city data.

Beyond its commitment to annual ISO 37120 reporting, the City will shortly begin implementing ISO 37122 (Indicators for Smart Cities) and ISO 37123 (Indicators for Resilient Cities). The City also intends to become an Early Adopter of the newest ISO standard on city indicators, ISO 37125 (Environmental, Social and Governance Indicators for Cities.) Toronto is the first city globally to announce its intent to implement ISO 37125 with the WCCD. Underlining Toronto’s commitment to data-driven decision-making, these year-over-year certifications will also support and validate the City’s Sustainable Debenture Program, a critical funding source for the City’s 10-year capital plan.

A Canadian-led, global innovation, the ISO 37120 Series (i.e. ISO 37122, ISO 37122, ISO 37123), is being implemented in more than forty countries. It contains fully numeric key performance indicators to measure city services and quality of life, underpinned by standardized definitions and methodologies.

The WCCD was founded in 2014 and helps communities of all sizes worldwide embrace standardized, independently verified and globally comparable city data to become more sustainable, resilient, prosperous, inclusive and smart. As a Foundation City of the WCCD, Toronto was among the first twenty cities globally to implement ISO 37120 in 2014 and is the host city for the WCCD’s headquarters.

Quotes:

“The City of Toronto is proud to continue its long-standing partnership with the World Council on City Data. These annual benchmarks allow the City to make data-informed decisions to ensure that Toronto continues to be a global leader and a great place to work, play, learn and invest. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the WCCD for future certifications.”

– Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park)

“Platinum-level certification from the World Council on City Data supports the City of Toronto’s sustainable debenture program and demonstrates our commitment to climate action, bond performance and investor relations, while enabling us to make the best data-informed decisions for the residents of Toronto.”

– Heather Taylor, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

“Through its commitment to standardized city data, the City of Toronto stands out as a leader in Canada and globally. With its eight years of WCCD ISO data, Council and City staff are equipped to continue focusing on improving Toronto residents’ quality of life while attracting new and diverse talent and investment. I congratulate the City on this important milestone.”

– Dr. Patricia McCarney, World Council on City Data, President and CEO

 

Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter (opens in new window), Instagram (opens in new window)or Facebook (opens in new window).

Media Relations

Thursday, 9 March 2023

North Grenville Achieves Platinum Data Certification from World Council on City Data for the Second Consecutive Year

   

Mayor Peckord (Centre Left) and Council receive WCCD ISO 37120 Platinum Certification from the WCCD President & CEO, Dr. Patricia McCarney (Centre Right)

The original release can be accessed here.


March 9, 2023

NORTH GRENVILLE, ONTARIO - Recognizing North Grenville's commitment to data-driven decision-making, the Municipality has received its second consecutive Platinum Certification from the World Council on City Data (WCCD) for implementing ISO 37120 – the first international standard for city data. North Grenville joins a network of over 30 Canadian and 100 municipalities globally within the WCCD network that collect, share and use data to make effective and transformative decisions. This Platinum Certification is the highest level of recognition by the WCCD and underlines the Municipality's commitment to high-calibre, globally standardized and independently verified city data.

"As our Municipality emerges from COVID with a core focus on infrastructure investment, improved service delivery and continued support for local economic development and tourism promotion, high calibre data is at the core of measuring progress and tracking change," stated Mayor Nancy Peckford.  

“Council would like to extend our special thanks to Director of Corporate Services Hillary Geneau and her colleague, Ashely Cuthbert for their sustained efforts. We appreciate their dedication,” added Mayor Peckford.  

Highlights of this year’s certification for North Grenville include:

  • A highly educated population - North Grenville is a leader in Canada and the world with residents holding, collectively, more than 8,600 post-secondary degrees;
  • Sustained business attraction, expansion and retention - even during the pandemic - promoting local economic growth and a vibrant community. 
  • Low water consumption and loss, contributing to overall cost savings and climate change mitigation.
  • A place to be active - North Grenville is a global leader with over 698 square metres per capita of outdoor recreation space.

"Working with the WCCD – and annually implementing the ISO 37120 standard - is supporting our prudent approach to affordability, while promoting a high quality of life for residents and business leaders in North Grenville. Through the data-driven insights that we obtain through our annual WCCD ISO certification, our staff continues to monitor and respond to our strategic priorities while prioritizing data-driven investment in our community," emphasized Mayor Peckford.

The WCCD's President and CEO, Dr. Patricia McCarney, was present at the March 7th Council Meeting to mark this important accomplishment:

"North Grenville is a remarkable community that is harnessing high-calibre data to drive a more sustainable future and inclusive prosperity for its residents," stated Dr. McCarney. "It is truly a pleasure to congratulate Mayor Peckford, Council and Municipal Staff on achieving WCCD Platinum Certification for the second consecutive year.

North Grenville is expertly “putting their data to work,” drawing on their ISO 37120 data to encourage economic growth and inform sound infrastructure investment. North Grenville is an example to communities across Ontario, Canada and the globe as their leaders embrace a data-driven culture that ultimately informs sound decision-making that ensures a high quality of life for all residents.”

A Canadian-led, global innovation, ISO 37120 is the first international standard for city data. With 104 fully numeric indicators across 19 themes, it helps to measure city services and quality of life, underpinned by standardized definitions and methodologies.

The WCCD was founded in 2014 and helps communities of all sizes worldwide embrace standardized, independently verified and globally comparable city data to become more sustainable, resilient, prosperous, inclusive and smart.

For more information on the World Council on City Data (WCCD) visit: www.dataforcities.org/.

Wednesday, 22 February 2023

Markham Receives WCCD Platinum-Level ISO Data Certification for Fourth Consecutive Year

   


The following is a link to the original release

MARKHAM, CANADA – February 21, 2023 – The City of Markham has received the ISO 37120 (Indicators for Sustainable Cities) Platinum-level certification from the World Council on City Data (WCCD) for the fourth consecutive year.

Markham joins more than 30 Canadian - and 100 cities globally - within the WCCD network that collect, share and use data to make effective and transformative decisions. This Platinum Certification is the highest level of recognition by the WCCD and underlines Markham's commitment to high-calibre, globally standardized and independently verified city data.

"The City of Markham is proud to continue its long-standing partnership with the WCCD and to be awarded the highest level of WCCD ISO 37120 certification," said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. "Through the data-driven insights that we obtain through our annual WCCD ISO certification, Markham can benchmark itself against other leading municipalities around the world and monitor our strategic priorities while implementing policies that will improve the quality of life for residents while attracting new investment."

"Through its commitment to standardized city data, Markham stands out as a leader in Canada and globally," said Dr. Patricia McCarney, WCCD President and CEO. "With its four years of WCCD ISO data, Mayor Scarpitti, Council and City staff are well-positioned to continue focusing on improving Markham's residents' quality of life while attracting new and diverse talent and investment. It is a pleasure to congratulate the City on this important accomplishment."

A Canadian-led, global innovation, ISO 37120 is the first international standard for city data. With 104 fully numeric indicators across 19 themes, it helps to measure city services and quality of life, underpinned by standardized definitions and methodologies.

The WCCD was founded in 2014 and helps communities of all sizes worldwide embrace standardized, independently verified and globally comparable city data to become more sustainable, resilient, prosperous, inclusive and smart.

Wednesday, 8 February 2023

City of Doral is Recognized by the World Council on City Data (WCCD) and Announces Participation in Joint WCCD/United Nations Project

   

 

The following is a link to the original release


Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Doral, FL – Today, the City of Doral achieved recognition for implementing ISO 37120 for the sixth consecutive year. Dr. Patricia McCarney - President and CEO of the World Council on City Data (WCCD) - recognized Mayor Christi Fraga, the Council and City Staff for Doral’s implementation of ISO 37120 (Indicators for Sustainable Cities) for the years 2020 and 2021 at the highest Platinum Level.

Receiving this important, data-driven achievement for six consecutive years builds on Doral’s similar data-driven successes in the past. Beyond its multiple WCCD ISO 37120 certifications, Doral is the first city in the United States to be awarded WCCD’s “Early Adopter” Certification for implementing the WCCD’s newest standards, ISO 37122 (Indicators for Smart Cities) and ISO 37123 (Indicators for Resilient Cities). Doral’s continued participation as a leader in the WCCD’s global network of over 100 cities across more than thirty-five countries supports Council’s dedication to building a more prosperous, smart, sustainable, and resilient future for residents.

“The City of Doral has been a long-standing partner of the WCCD,” stated Mayor Fraga. “Now equipped with over six years of data, City leadership is well positioned to harness this information to understand where we’ve been and to determine the best path forward through the high caliber data we collect annually with the support of the WCCD.”

In her remarks, Dr. McCarney congratulated the City of Doral, its leadership, staff, and important partners in Miami-Dade County for this accomplishment. “The WCCD is privileged to work with cities around the world in helping them to harness high caliber, globally standardized and independently verified city data to drive prosperous change, and Doral is at the top of that list,” stated Dr. McCarney. “Through the WCCD’s partnership with Mayor Fraga, Council and the dedicated teams within Doral and Miami-Dade, we look forward to continued WCCD-Doral cooperation for many years. Congratulations to Mayor Fraga, Council, and all involved in this partnership, highlighting Doral as a leader in Florida, the United States, and globally.”

Beyond the opportunity to recognize Doral for its dedication to data-driven prosperity, Dr. McCarney also announced Doral’s inclusion in a new joint United Nations and WCCD Pilot on City resilience. “Through a long-standing partnership with the United Nations, the WCCD is working with a select group of cities worldwide to harness the data within ISO 37123 to drive a more resilient future for cities worldwide. Doral was an immediate candidate for inclusion in this important pilot initiative. Doral will be a strategic member of this global conversation on making cities more resilient, and the lessons it shares with other cities will be as important as the lessons it learns. Alongside our UN Partners, we are pleased to work with Doral, Mayor Fraga, Council and Staff.”

Responding to Dr. McCarney, Mayor Fraga underlined Doral’s commitment to driving a more resilient future for the city. “With the continuing changes that we see all around us, becoming more resilient in response to extreme weather events is extremely important to Doral. However, we also know that cities face economic challenges beyond extreme weather – especially as we take Doral’s economy to even greater heights following the challenges presented by COVID-19. Participating in this UN/WCCD Pilot Project will allow us to learn from other cities worldwide and share with them what we have learned in our commitment to making our city more resilient.”

Working with the WCCD, the Pilot initiative will be implemented in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the UN agency tasked with supporting city-level resilience.

About the WCCD
The World Council on City Data (WCCD) was founded in 2014. It exists to help cities and communities of all sizes globally embrace ISO-standardized, independently verified, and globally comparable city data to make data-driven decisions. The WCCD team of professionals has led the development and implementation of three international standards on city data published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in Geneva – now globally recognized as the ISO 37120 Series on City Data. The ISO 37120 Series includes ISO 37120 - Indicators for Sustainable Cities, ISO 37122 - Indicators for Smart Cities, and ISO 37123 - Indicators for Resilient Cities. WCCD is now working with 100 cities in over 35 countries, helping these cities to implement the ISO 37120 Series on City Data.


Wednesday, 28 September 2022

​Vaughan achieves Platinum and Smart Cities Early Adopter certifications from the World Council on City Data

   
Mayor Bevilacqua and Vaughan City Council received multiple certifications from the WCCD President and CEO, Dr. Patricia McCarney

The following is a link to the original release

During a ceremonial presentation at the Sept. 28 Council meeting, Mayor and Members of Council announced the City of Vaughan has achieved three International Organization of Standardization (ISO) certifications from the World Council on City Data (WCCD) – a Platinum ISO 37120 certification for 2020 and 2021, and the ISO 37122 Early Adopter Smart Cities certification.

Platinum is the highest certification offered by the WCCD, a global leader in standardized data that helps create smart, sustainable, resilient and prosperous cities. ISO 37120 is the first international standard for cities. The platinum certifications are the sixth and seventh that Vaughan has received. Each is a testament to the City's commitment to advancing purposeful Smart City initiatives that align with the organization’s goal of achieving the highest standards.  

To attain WCCD platinum certification, cities report key performance indicators across 19 themes that measure City services and quality of life. Year-over-year benchmarking establishes a baseline that will allow Vaughan to assess service delivery and drive decision-making and data-driven policies forward.

In addition to the platinum certifications, the City has also become an early adopter of ISO 37122 – Indicators for Smart Cities. Vaughan is among the first cities in the world to be certified under this new Smart City standard, joining an early adopter cohort of 10 cities globally.

The City of Vaughan has a robust Smart City agenda that contributes to the WCCD’s ISO indicators such as:

  • the LED streetlight retrofit program that replaced 24,000 lights and includes Smart City technology integration, giving improved control and saving $1 million per year.
  • a digital portal that allows citizens and industry professionals to apply, track and pay for building permits online.
  • the introduction of electric vehicles into the City fleet and the development of charging infrastructure at public facilities, with more coming soon.
  • the City's commitment to creating an accessible community by 2025 by undertaking 57 initiatives – with six completed, 16 in progress and 35 ongoing.
  • the City's support for innovation, with an impressive number of new patents per 100,000 residents per year; new ventureLAB space at Pierre Berton Resource Library; the student entrepreneurship program; Activate!Vaughan innovation challenges and more.

These Smart City initiatives and many others are improving the quality of life for residents across the city.

Soon Vaughan will begin collecting data for ISO 37123 – Indicators for Resilient Cities – becoming a global early adopter of that certification as well. More importantly, the City will be among only a handful worldwide that have obtained a "triple certification" under the ISO 37120 Series. 

These accomplishments reflect the City's commitment to a culture of knowledge and continuous improvement. In 2018, Vaughan established the Smart City Task Force to create enhanced opportunities by improving how data is collected, understood and utilized to safeguard and elevate the quality of life for all citizens. The task force provided suggestions to increase economic competitiveness, advance data initiatives, foster innovation, and improve engagement with stakeholders, community groups and citizens. Following careful research, consideration and dedication to this mandate, the appointed members developed the Smart City Task Force Report, which was presented to Council on June 28, 2022.

Vaughan is ambitious and transformative. The City is committed to finding new and meaningful ways to incorporate Smart City solutions into ongoing city-building efforts while ensuring it continues to put citizens first through Service Excellence.