The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) announced at London Climate Action Week that it is set to develop its first international standard on net zero, with a planned launch at COP30 in November 2025. This new standard aims to provide clear guidelines and robust requirements to support the net zero transition, enabling comprehensive and independently verified climate action.
The development of this standard will see the collaboration of thousands of experts through national standards bodies from over 170 countries. This extensive collaboration will integrate the latest climate science, ensuring the standard is grounded in current scientific understanding. To incorporate global perspectives, a public consultation is scheduled for later in 2025, allowing stakeholders worldwide to contribute and ensure diverse voices are considered.
This forthcoming standard builds on the ISO Net Zero Guidelines introduced at COP27, which CAFA has since embedded and integrated into its practices and operations—read more about it here. While the Guidelines provided a framework for organisations to develop net zero strategies based on best practices, the new standard will offer independently verifiable guidance. This evolution is designed to enhance public confidence and guard against greenwashing by setting out stringent and credible requirements for net zero claims.
The British Standards Institution (BSI) and ICONTEC, Colombia’s National Standards Body, will convene the process. Garcia Nebra, ISO’s Head of Sustainability, emphasised ISO's commitment to supporting the net zero transition, highlighting the importance of delivering a standard suitable for organisations of all sizes, sectors, and geographies.
ISO's new standard represents a critical component of its broader Climate Commitment. By providing a global solution for the net zero transition, ISO aims to meet the market demand for credible, verifiable climate action standards. This initiative underscores ISO's dedication to enabling effective and trustworthy climate strategies across the globe.
CAFA has been selected to join the National Standards Body’s climate change management committee, which is developing the ISO net zero standard. We will keep members of the CAFA Collective updated on progress as it occurs.
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At CAFA, we empower associations to lead by providing essential guidance and support, including assistance with emissions reporting. Through promoting community learning, we enable them to fulfil their sustainability commitments effectively.
Learn more about CAFA and our initiatives here.
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