Initiative to support goals of global sustainability

ASTM International has announced the formation of ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability. This new standards development initiative results from the cooperative efforts of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and cross industry stakeholders who share mutual goals for global sustainable development.

The ASTM International Committee E60 will be the forum where diverse stakeholders come together to create the consensus standards that will promote and integrate sustainable development across multiple industry sectors.

The committee will build on the vast body of work of multiple ASTM technical committees who have developed standards that address various issues of sustainability. Notable among these is the efforts of ASTM Subcommittee E06.71 on Sustainability, which has contributed numerous standards that support sustainability in the building industry.

The ongoing activities of E06.71, including a newly formed task group on Green Meetings and Events, will now be coordinated by the committee. The initial scope of the committee will be driven by subcommittees on Building and Construction, Hospitality and General Sustainability Standards. The committee will also support and serve as a resource for other ASTM committees in their activities that include sustainability issues.

The technical committee will hold its next organisational meeting in April 2009 during the ASTM committee week in Vancouver, Canada.