š„ISO launches Net Zero Guidelines at COP27š„
ISO has launched the first globally agreed Net Zero Guidelines.Ā
This landmark publication provides much needed guidance and clarifies key concepts and terminology around Net Zero.Ā Ā
In little over a year, 1200 organizations and experts from more than 100 countries have produced a document that provides clear, harmonized definitions and guidance, agreed through a collaborative and consensus-based process.Ā Ā
The new ISO Net Zero Guidelines, developed through ISOās International Workshop Agreement process, define key concepts and lay the foundation for accountability and reporting.
A tool for policy makers and all who work towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions for their business, group or countryĀ
Launched at COP27, the Net Zero GuidelinesĀ tackle a major road block for a world where greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to the minimum and balanced by removals: the fragmented net zero governance landscape. Competing approaches and concepts for "Net Zero" sow confusion. The Guidelines provide a common reference forĀ collective efforts, offering a global basis for harmonizing, understanding, and planning for net zero for actors at the state, regional, city and organizational level.
A common understanding of ānet zeroā
The Net Zero Guidelines set a common path for:Ā Ā
theĀ definition of ānet zeroāĀ and related terms (greenhouse gas removals, offsetting, value chain, etc), clarifying the differences in scope between direct emissions, indirect emissions from purchased energy, and other indirect emissions arising from an organizationās activities
high-levelĀ principlesĀ for all actors who want to achieve climate neutrality,
actionableĀ guidanceĀ on getting there as soon as possible, by 2050 at the very latest, and
transparent communication,Ā credible claims, and consistent reporting on emissions, reductions and removals.
The Guidelines build on the momentum of existing voluntary initiatives and increase their impact. Standardized ānet zeroā claims are easier to compare, create an ambition loop, and can be scaled through better regulation.
Broad consensus built through an open process
More than 1,200 experts from over 100 countriesĀ contributed to make the Net Zero Guidelines an effectiveĀ common reference for net zero guidance.
ISOās International Workshop Agreement (IWA) process provided the perfect platform to facilitate broad and direct participation.Ā
What is an ISO International Workshop Agreement?
In order to respond to urgent market requirements, International Workshop AgreementsĀ (IWAs)Ā are prepared through a workshop mechanism outside of ISO committee structures, following a procedure that ensures the broadest range of relevant interested parties worldwideĀ have the opportunity toĀ participate, and are approved by consensus amongst the individual participants in the workshops. If there is an existing ISO committee whose scope covers the topic, the published International Workshop Agreement is automatically allocated to this committee for maintenance.
An International Workshop Agreement is reviewed three years after its publication and can be further processed to become aĀ Publicly Available Specification, aĀ Technical SpecificationĀ or anĀ International Standard, according to the market requirement. An International Workshop Agreement can exist for a maximum of six years, following which it is either withdrawn or converted into another ISO document.Ā