ISO Net Zero Standard Fails Vote Amid Stakeholder Conflict

ISO's proposed net zero standard, ISO 14040, failed its initial vote – a significant setback for the standardisation body's attempt to create a global framework for net zero claims. The failure came amid record-volume feedback during the public consultation period, suggesting deep disagreement among stakeholders about what a credible net zero standard should contain.

This matters because without a binding international standard, organisations continue to make net zero commitments using inconsistent methodologies, scope definitions, and verification approaches. That fragmentation creates space for greenwashing: two companies making identical net zero claims may have measured emissions entirely differently or set incompatible reduction timelines.

ISO's retreat is not a failure of standardisation itself – it's a failure of consensus-building on the specifics. The record feedback volume indicates real disagreement on core questions: how broadly should scope 3 (value chain) emissions be included? Should offsets count toward net zero, or only reduction? How should organisations handle emissions from sectors still lacking decarbonisation pathways? These are not technical quibbles; they determine whether a net zero claim is credible or cosmetic.

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and GHG Protocol have filled parts of this gap with their own standards, but they lack ISO's formal weight and global enforcement mechanisms. ISO's failure leaves the net zero landscape fragmented exactly when regulatory pressure – from the EU's CSRD onwards – is pushing organisations toward standardised reporting.

Will ISO iterate and try again, or will market-led standards solidify in its absence?

ISO’s Proposed Net Zero Standard Fails Initial Vote Amid Record Feedback

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