ISO and UNFCCC sponsor free to use net zero guidelines IWA 42:2022

[edit] ISO tool Launched at COP27

As part of the Our 2050 World campaign, a collaboration to help accelerate the transition to achieve net zero by 2050 that is supported by the UNFCCC’s Race to Zero campaign and Global Innovation Hub, ISO has launched the freely available net zero guidelines at COP27. Commissioned by Our 2050 World, over 1,200 experts from over 100 countries contributed to the Net Zero Guidelines through the ISO’s International Workshop Agreement (IWA) process providing a platform to facilitate broad and direct participation making the document an effective common international reference point.

The group state that 'competing approaches and concepts for "Net Zero" sow confusion. The Guidelines provide a common reference for collective efforts, offering a global basis for harmonizing, understanding, and planning for net zero for actors at the state, regional, city and organizational level."

To support global climate action, ISO offers the Net Zero Guidelines for free download and online browse. The introduction to the document can be found on the ISO website here whilst the full document via a web browser or to download can be accessed here.

[edit] A common understanding of “net zero”

The ISO information page on the Net Zero Guidelines states that it sets a common path for:

• "The definition of “net zero” 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 organization’s activities
• High-level principles for all actors who want to achieve climate neutrality,
• actionable guidance on getting there as soon as possible, by 2050 at the very latest, and
• transparent communication, credible claims, and consistent reporting on emissions, reductions and removals."

The Guidelines aim to build on the momentum of existing voluntary initiatives and help to increase their impact. These standardized “net zero” claims are then easier to compare, create an ambition loop, that can then be scaled through the implementation of better regulation.

This article appears on the ISO standards website "Popular standards - Net Zero Guidelines", and was publish during COP27, 2022, to support global climate action, ISO offers the Net Zero Guidelines for free download and online browsing.

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