December 2025: New Standards for Environmental Safety, CO2 Capture, Head Protection & More

December 2025 brings vital changes to the field of environmental management, health protection, and safety. Five newly published international standards are set to significantly influence compliance, innovation, and operational excellence across industries such as heavy manufacturing, urban services, fire safety, head protection, and liquid storage. Covering everything from carbon dioxide capture performance and smoke-control fire doors to sustainable city service frameworks, each specification addresses critical current and emerging challenges.

Overview

The industries that safeguard our environment and people rely on robust international standards. These documents provide precise guidance on technologies, systems, processes, and equipment to ensure environmental sustainability, health protection, and workplace safety. As standards evolve, professionals must track new requirements to ensure compliance and unlock operational efficiencies.

This article details:

• The scope and applications of five newly published standards
• Technical requirements and implementation best practices
• Direct impact on industry operations, compliance, and public safety

Whether you're responsible for regulatory compliance, engineering operations, procurement, or quality management, understanding these standards is essential for risk mitigation and competitive advantage.

Detailed Standards Coverage

ISO 27928:2025 - Performance Evaluation Methods for CO2 Capture at Intensive Industrial Plants

Carbon dioxide capture, transportation and storage — Carbon dioxide capture — Performance evaluation methods for CO₂ capture connected to a CO₂ intensive plant

To support climate goals, industries must measure and improve their CO₂ capture capabilities. ISO 27928:2025 provides a common framework and methodology to evaluate the efficiency of CO₂ capture systems installed at CO₂-intensive operations like steel, cement, chemical, aluminum, and fertiliser plants.

Scope & Technical Requirements

• Specifies procedures to define plant boundaries and to measure and evaluate key performance indicators (KPIs) for CO₂ capture.
• Covers capture technologies such as chemical absorption (e.g., amine scrubbing), solid adsorption (e.g., PSA, TSA), membranes, cryogenic methods.
• Outlines the measurement of critical parameters: CO₂ capture rate, electrical energy consumption (SEC), thermal energy consumption (STEC), and specific material consumption (e.g., absorbents or adsorbents, SMC).
• Incorporates methodologies for documenting plant boundaries, energy balance, utility flows, test plans, and instrumentation.
• Ensures comparable, verifiable data for operators, policymakers, and technology providers.

Who Should Comply

• Operators of industrial facilities with significant CO₂ emissions
• Technology suppliers for CCS (carbon capture and storage)
• Energy-intensive sectors: steel, cement, non-ferrous metals, chemicals, hydrogen production with CCS

Practical Implications & Implementation

• Supports transparent reporting for regulatory, financial, and environmental initiatives.
• Facilitates benchmarking and continuous improvement for plant operators.
• Establishes a methodology for third-party verification, supporting voluntary or regulated carbon markets.
• Strongly recommended as a foundation for any CO₂ capture measurement campaign at industrial facilities.

Notable Changes

• Provides a dedicated methodology distinct from power plant capture standards, responding to unique challenges at CO₂-intensive plants.
• Clearer instructions for test boundary definition and KPI calculation.

Key highlights:

• Defines precise boundaries and measurement approaches for CO₂ capture systems
• Specifies calculation methods for energy, mass, and material KPIs
• Supports independent verification and regulatory compliance

Access the full standard:View ISO 27928:2025 on iTeh Standards

ISO 5925:2025 - Smoke-Control Assembly Leakage Testing

Smoke-control door, shutter assemblies and self-closing glazed elements — Ambient-temperature and medium-temperature leakage tests

ISO 5925:2025 is a foundational specification for fire safety engineers, architects, and building product manufacturers. It defines standard test methods for measuring the leakage of smoke through doors, shutters, and glazing designed to prevent smoke migration during fires—a major life-safety risk.

Scope & Technical Requirements

• Prescribes ambient (cold) and medium (warm) temperature leakage tests for doors, shutters, and self-closing glazed elements.
• Establishes test conditions for pressure differentials, air temperature profiles (20 ± 10°C and 200 ± 10°C), and acceptable air leakage rates.
• Covers the selection, preparation, and conditioning of test specimens, required instrumentation, and precise data reporting protocols.
• Ensures measurement of direct air transfer through assembled product, taking into account existing regulatory limits set by authorities.
• Aligns with other international standards for fire resistance and complements broader fire safety regulations.

Who Should Comply

• Door, shutter, and glazing manufacturers
• Fire test laboratories and certification bodies
• Designers and specifiers in building construction and fire safety

Practical Implications & Implementation

• Enables demonstrable product compliance with local and national smoke containment requirements.
• Supports harmonized laboratory evaluations and product certification processes.
• Necessary for procurement specifications in large construction projects and renovation of fire compartments.

Notable Changes

• Integrates expanded content from prior technical reports and amendments
• Expands applicability to self-closing operable glazed elements
• Adds new tolerances, test procedures, and reporting requirements

Key highlights:

• Defines repeatable, auditable test methods for smoke-control assemblies
• Supports life safety and regulatory compliance in built environments
• Addresses both ambient and medium-temperature performance

Access the full standard:View ISO 5925:2025 on iTeh Standards

CEN/TR 18249:2025 - Scientific Rationale Behind Advanced Head Protection

Head protection — Scientific background and rationale to EN 17950

This technical report underpins the development and rationale of advanced helmet test methods, especially those addressing the risk of rotational brain injury. CEN/TR 18249:2025 is crucial for R&D engineers, test labs, standards officers, and safety managers in personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturing.

Scope & Technical Requirements

• Provides scientific context for the methodology of EN 17950:2024, focusing on rotational shock absorption for protective helmets.
• Explains the importance of testing rotational as well as linear impacts, referencing biomechanics and accident reconstruction research.
• Details the criteria for headform design: moment of inertia (MOI), mass distribution, head shape, and frictional properties.
• Compares alternative test methods (e.g., dropping onto oblique surfaces, using pneumatic impactors) and justifies the selected approach.
• Covers specification for impact angle, surface, and headform attributes to reflect real-life accident scenarios.

Who Should Comply

• Helmet manufacturers and PPE development labs
• Test and certification bodies for industrial, sports, and consumer helmets
• Regulatory authorities and workplace safety officers

Practical Implications & Implementation

• Guides the evolution of safer helmet designs and next-generation test protocols
• Supports the scientific basis for pass/fail criteria and performance claims
• Promotes harmonization across helmet categories (bicycle, equestrian, industrial, sports, etc.)

Notable Changes

• New headform and test protocol criteria for rotational kinematics
• Consensus from extensive European expert committee work

Key highlights:

• Lays the scientific foundation for new helmet safety standards
• Ensures biofidelic test headforms and repeatable rotational tests
• Supports reduction of traumatic brain injuries via improved PPE

Access the full standard:View CEN/TR 18249:2025 on iTeh Standards

CEN/TR 18260:2025 - Sustainable Cities: Service Frameworks for Communities

Sustainable Cities and Communities — A framework for standardization of services to the citizen

As cities embrace smart technology and strive to become more sustainable, CEN/TR 18260:2025 offers a blueprint for standardizing citizen services. This document is an essential reference for urban planners, local authorities, and service providers aiming to improve the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of urban services.

Scope & Technical Requirements

• Establishes a unified set of principles for the design and execution of smart and sustainable local government services.
• Encompasses all service delivery formats—whether municipal, outsourced, or via private enterprise.
• Focuses on citizen-centric approaches, accessibility, feedback, and continual improvement, rather than prescribing technology or digital solutions.
• Aligns with established quality management and service excellence programs (ISO/TC 176 & ISO/TC 312).
• Highlights areas including administrative, educational, social, transport, utility, environmental, and recreational services.
• Encourages resilience, operational efficiency, and equal treatment for all citizens, including vulnerable populations.

Who Should Comply

• Local governments and municipal authorities
• Public service organizations and arms-length service providers
• Urban policy makers, consultants, and civic tech companies

Practical Implications & Implementation

• Provides a benchmark for developing new or upgrading existing citizen-facing services
• Fosters harmonization and interoperability of urban service standards across regions and countries
• Assists cities in achieving UN SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)

Notable Changes

• Responds to ETSI and UN recommendations for citizen-focused digital transformation

Key highlights:

• Defines essential criteria for citizen-oriented, sustainable city services
• Encourages inclusion, transparency, and accessible digital transformation
• Provides a flexible, future-proofed blueprint for urban public service delivery

Access the full standard:View CEN/TR 18260:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN 12285-4:2025 - Steel Tank Specifications for Environmentally-Sensitive Liquid Storage

Workshop fabricated steel tanks — Part 4: Vertical cylindrical single skin and double skin tanks for the aboveground storage of flammable and nonflammable water polluting liquids other than for heating and cooling of buildings

EN 12285-4:2025 provides crucial requirements for the construction and performance of vertical steel tanks used for storing flammable and non-flammable liquids that can pollute water. This standard is critical for operators in environmental protection, petrochemicals, water treatment, and industrial logistics.

Scope & Technical Requirements

• Applies to shop-fabricated vertical cylindrical steel tanks (single and double skin) for aboveground storage of water-polluting liquids (max diameter: 1,250 to 4,000 mm, length up to 14m).
• Covers tanks with up to five compartments, max liquid density of 1.9 kg/l, operating pressures up to 0.5 bar(g), and kinematic viscosity limits for double skin tanks with vacuum leak detection.
• Specifies requirements for materials, welding, wall thickness, coatings, compartment design, leak detection systems, and labeling.
• Excludes use for certain dangerous goods (explosives, peroxides, infectious substances, radioactive materials, etc.) and tanks intended for building heating/cooling or human consumption water systems.
• Stipulates normal ambient temperature usage (−40°C to +50°C), with guidance for outside conditions.

Who Should Comply

• Tank manufacturers, industrial site managers, EPC contractors
• Environmental engineers, chemical plant designers, fire and water authorities

Practical Implications & Implementation

• Sets out minimum acceptance tests (tightness, material verification, mechanical resistance)
• Ensures environmental safety and regulatory compliance for industrial storage
• Supports durability, maintenance planning, and pollution prevention

Notable Changes

• Updated scope and restrictions on dangerous goods handling, improved test/inspection criteria

Key highlights:

• Defines robust safety and environmental requirements for steel tanks
• Mandates leak detection and compartmentalization for pollution control
• Provides clear tank marking, testing, and documentation rules

Access the full standard:View EN 12285-4:2025 on iTeh Standards

Industry Impact & Compliance

The latest updates to international standards in environmental safety, health protection, and risk management have substantial operational and legal implications for:

• Heavy industry (steel, cement, chemicals)
• Construction and building systems
• Public sector urban services
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturing
• Waste and hazardous material storage

Compliance Considerations & Timelines

• Transition timelines may be specified in local/national adoption of each standard. Early implementation is encouraged to minimize risk.
• Companies must review contractual and regulatory commitments: these standards may be adopted as mandatory requirements or referenced in procurement.

Adoption Benefits

• Reduces environmental impact and improves sustainability reporting
• Ensures legal compliance and access to regulated markets
• Enhances occupant safety and public trust
• Drives innovation in product and service design
• Supports company reputation and international competitiveness

Risks of Non-Compliance

• Regulatory penalties and loss of certifications
• Environmental incidents and liability exposure
• Operational inefficiencies from outdated practices
• Loss of business opportunities in regulated supply chains

Technical Insights

Common Technical Themes

• Performance-based evaluation: Clear KPIs, measurement boundaries, and energy/material flow accounting (seen in CO₂ capture and tank standards)
• Robust test methods: Repeatable laboratory and on-site tests are crucial for certification, from helmet impacts to smoke leakage in fire doors
• Environmental and health risk mitigation: Focus on prevention of pollution, reduction of hazardous material emissions, and enhanced protection for people
• Operational documentation: Mandatory labeling, test reports, and supporting technical files across all standards

Best Practices for Implementation

1. Gap analysis: Compare current practices and systems with new standard requirements
2. Stakeholder training: Ensure technical staff, facilities teams, and compliance managers are familiar with updated procedures and KPIs
3. Third-party testing and certification: Engage accredited laboratories early to plan and validate compliance
4. Continuous improvement: Use new metrics and data collection strategies to drive ongoing operational enhancements

Testing & Certification Considerations

• Schedule sufficient time for laboratory testing, report generation, and regulatory review
• Document all procedures, calibration data, and measurement methods for traceability
• Plan for recertification as standards evolve

Conclusion & Next Steps

December 2025 marks a significant advance in the standards ecosystem for environmental and health protection. The new and revised standards highlighted in this article will shape best practices and strengthen safety in industries critical to our society and environment.

Key takeaways:

• Five new international standards enhance measurement, performance, and safety in CO₂ capture, fire protection, head protection, sustainable urban services, and liquid storage
• Compliance demands technical updates, documentation, and staff training
• Early adopters will benefit from improved safety, sustainability, and regulatory assurance

Recommendations for organizations:

• Review the full text of relevant standards via iTeh Standards
• Initiate gap analyses and compliance planning without delay
• Subscribe to updates and ongoing guidance from official standardization bodies

Stay ahead in safety and sustainability—explore these standards in detail and ensure your organization is fully prepared for the evolving regulatory landscape.