The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has released “Net-Zero Guidelines,” a set of definitions and principles for target setting, with the aim of assisting in the development of credible net-zero plans and targets in both the public and private sectors.
The “Net-Zero Guidelines” were released to coincide with the COP27 Presidency Agenda Day dedicated to decarbonization. According to the ISO, it took three months to develop the resource, which incorporates input from 1,200 international experts.
The ISO has claimed that “all actors and organizations” of all sizes, in the public and private sectors, may apply the standards. It is a powerful platform, and some of the industries and businesses that produce the most greenhouse gasses use its prior resources. The ISO’s president, Ulrika Francke, stated that the organization is committed to increasing good impact globally and ensuring the guidelines are implemented as widely as feasible.
The ISO refers to the Guidelines as a “single core reference text” for any organization intending to establish meaningful targets and utilize terminology associated with net-zero emissions in a credible manner. Anyone who first registers their email address can access them for free.
Francke further stated that the Net Zero Guidelines will bring about the much-needed net zero alignment. This publication marks a historic turning point in the effort of the international community to fulfill its climate pledges and put the world on the correct course for the year 2050.
In contrast to the Paris Agreement’s 2C and 1.5C goals, the UN said last month that the globe is on course to experience at least 2.5C of warming above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. Both the UN High-Level Champions on Climate Change and the UNFCCC, the organization in charge of addressing climate change, have praised the principles. The new rules, according to champion Nigel Topping, are a welcome expansion of the Race to Zero voluntary criteria and may be used as a foundational text on net zero to unite international actors, ramp up ambition, and counter greenwashing.
The main focus of side activities during COP27 has been on eradicating greenwashing in relation to net-zero. This week, the High-Level Expert Group on Non-State Entities’ Commitments to Net-Zero Emissions released its initial set of guidelines for non-state entities developing net-zero targets.
All organizations that are not nations or governments, such as cities and enterprises, are referred to by this UN term. This research emphasizes the need to prioritize lowering emissions rather than excessively depending on offsets.
