An open database correlates international standards with Brazil’s climate goals, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), low-carbon technologies, and RCGI’s internal projects — reducing barriers to the implementation of technological innovations.
The Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation at the University of São Paulo (RCGI-USP) has just launched the Standards Observatory, a free digital platform designed to help researchers and innovators access and apply technical standards in the race for energy transition solutions.
Presented during the 8th edition of the Energy Transition Research & Innovation Conference (ETRI 2025) in São Paulo, the tool functions as a database that correlates international standards (initially from the International Organization for Standardization — ISO) with Brazil’s climate commitments (NDCs under the Paris Agreement), the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), low-carbon technologies, and RCGI’s internal projects.
With the support of artificial intelligence, the Observatory facilitates the search and understanding of standards, promoting a multidisciplinary and strategic approach to innovation. The goal is to reduce technical barriers and enable the development of solutions aligned with global standards.
“Often, the lack of knowledge about applicable standards can delay or even prevent promising innovations. We want to change that reality,” says Alexandre de Barros Gallo, RCGI researcher and project leader.
The platform offers different ways to search. Researchers or innovators can look up information by keywords, specific topics such as the SDGs, or by combining filters. “This allows users to quickly find the most relevant documents for their fields of work. The database already includes more than one hundred standards and is constantly expanding, with plans to include standards from ABNT and the European Committee,” adds Gallo.
Researchers emphasize that standards should not be seen as obstacles but as strategic guides that point to safer and more efficient paths for innovation. “The Observatory focuses on technical standards — voluntary documents that establish best practices — rather than legislation. By facilitating access to this knowledge, we accelerate technological development and align Brazilian innovations with international standards,” highlights Eduardo Guedes, RCGI researcher.