The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is reviewing suggested changes to its corporate net-zero standard after a vote on the first draft fell short of the approval threshold. Fossil-fuel producing countries are thought to be one group that voted against advancing the current draft, according to sources familiar with the process.
The consultation draft of the ISO 14060 Standard for Net-Zero Aligned Organizations was circulated for 12 weeks for feedback and approval by ISO’s members, more than 170 national standards bodies. “ISO/DIS 14060 did not receive the level of approval required to advance in its current form,” said an ISO spokesperson.
For a draft international standard to advance, it must receive approval from at least two-thirds of the participating committee members voting, while negative votes must represent no more than one-quarter of all votes cast by ISO member bodies. If either threshold is not met, the draft is referred back to the committee for further consideration.
Close to 5,000 comments on the current net-zero draft were submitted by the Sept. 9 consultation deadline. National standards bodies from 88 countries participated in the ballot on ISO 14060. The committee is now obligated to review the feedback; from there it will make a determination about how to proceed, the ISO spokesperson said.
As per ISO’s external communications policy, detailed ballot information, including how individual member bodies voted or the reasons for their positions, is not disclosed externally.
Fossil-fuel producers
Comments made during earlier discussions suggest that fossil-fuel producing nations were one group that voted against moving the current draft forward, said two people close to the negotiations who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to comment on the process. Other countries that voted “no” may have wanted more time to consider the proposal, including rules on how carbon credits can be used.
Interest in the framework has intensified over the past year, in part because of ISO’s close — and growing closer — relationship with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The two organizations are working to unify their respective carbon accounting standards; a draft is due in early 2027. ISO is the world’s largest voluntary independent standards organization; its annual general meeting is scheduled for Sept. 28 to Oct. 2 in Paris.
