ISO net-zero standard stalls following member feedback

ISO's proposed net-zero standard has stalled at the drafting stage after accumulating nearly 5,000 member comments, forcing the organisation to return the specification for substantial revision. This matters because ISO standards shape how thousands of organisations globally define and verify net-zero claims – a critical control point in the anti-greenwashing infrastructure. The standard was intended to provide consistency where none exists: companies currently report net-zero commitments against fragmented frameworks (GHG Protocol, SBTi, EU Taxonomy), creating confusion for investors, regulators, and procurement teams trying to compare claims. Without saying what specific criticisms triggered the revisions, the stall suggests fault lines exist among ISO members on core issues: likely around scope definitions (how much of supply chain counts), additionality of offsets, or verification rigour. The delay extends the window where organisations can make unverified net-zero announcements. For procurement teams and CFOs navigating supplier ESG claims, this is a reminder that no global standard yet exists – meaning due diligence still relies on assessing individual frameworks and third-party verification. The question is whether ISO's revised draft will narrow or widen the loopholes. If it defaults to lowest-common-denominator consensus, it risks irrelevance alongside the standards it was meant to supersede.