Standards Development

Scope

Requirements for how any type of organization can demonstrate that their net zero strategy, including their targets and delivery to these targets, are compatible with reaching net zero, and that they are making credible and verifiable progress towards contributing to global net zero in line with the Paris Agreement. The scope would be limited to organizations, not including their products, in line with the scope of IWA 42 (See Annex for full scope).

Purpose

The purpose of this proposal is to convert the IWA 42 document into an International Standard. The ISO Net Zero Guidelines address the global issue of fragmentation in approaches and understanding of what net zero action means for organizations, and in bringing alignment across all areas of net zero governance (e.g. emissions quantification standards, target-setting initiatives, offsetting criteria, reporting standards). Since publication at COP27, the ISO Net Zero Guidelines has been recognised as a major deliverable on net zero best practice in the global governance landscape, cited in several publications across policymaking, academia, business, and prominent reports, and used as the basis for a net zero strategy by several organizations. In its first year, it has received more than 55,000 views and downloads from over 170 countries from the ISO homepage alone and there are growing enquiries is growing interest from major organisations on whether the ISO Net Zero Guidelines will be developed into a certifiable International Standard. This will meet demands to support businesses to demonstrate compliance, and address calls for greater clarity and accountability in the market to reduce greenwashing.

For example, early adopters of the ISO Net Zero Guidelines were featured by BSI at COP28, including General Motors, Planet Mark, Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and Climate Action for Associations who all reflected the value of the Guidelines in strengthening their net zero strategies. It has been recognised as a key instrument to support convergence alongside other market-leading standards and build a consistent high integrity view of “what good looks like” for net zero through its reference to both ISO standards and leading standards and voluntary initiatives outside of the ISO system. As this is a critical function of the ISO Net Zero Guidelines, its development into an International Standard must also account for this. (See Annex for full purpose and justification).