Elinor Kershaw, JRP Solutions, Principal Consultant – Net Zero and ESG
Greenwashing, unsubstantiated emissions statements and incomplete scoping, whether by accident or design, are all blurring visibility around what is actually being achieved by organisations in the quest for Net Zero.
Introducing an internationally recognised standard for Greenhouse Gas management and related activities will be a significant step forward in aligning Net Zero claims with achievements. But what is ISO 14068 and what does this mean for you?
What it isn’t
- New ideas or principles
- A substantially different framework
- A replacement for the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) to demonstrate commitment and reaching interim targets
- Yet another thing to sign up to
What it is
ISO 14068 is a comprehensive standard for verifying when carbon neutral is reached and being maintained. It brings ‘carbon neutral’ and ‘net zero’ together properly for avoidance of doubt and provides a clear structure in one place which supports a pathway to carbon neutral/net zero.
The standard is comprehensive – it includes scopes 1, 2 and 3 and uses ISO 14064-1:2018 as the source of the required inclusions. It excludes the purchase of renewable energy as reductions and gives clear advice on avoiding double counting.
Can we use ISO 14068 now?
The draft of the standard was released for review in November 2022. The review closed mid-April 2023,
after which a report on the review was issued and amendments or proposal for finalisation are being considered at a higher level. It is anticipated that the final standard will be published by spring/summer 2024. We do know enough, however, to ensure that the work we do now will all contribute to certification to the standard.
Net Zero or Carbon Neutral?
These two terms are often mis-used or confused.
Carbon neutral – is a condition in which during a specified period there has been no net emission of GHGs to the atmosphere as the carbon footprint of the subject has been counterbalanced by offsetting. Achievement of this condition is not limited to the GHG emissions and GHG removals within the boundary of the subject and can include counterbalancing measures such as the use of carbon offsets as long as these meet certain criteria.
Net Zero – means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere, by oceans and forests for instance.
ISO 14068 is the standard that measures carbon neutrality.
The carbon neutrality management hierarchy can be illustrated as follows:
When will you be using ISO 14068?
- When planning a carbon neutral/net zero strategy to ensure your end point will meet a verifiable standard
- Once you believe you have reached carbon neutral/net zero*
- If a key supplier/stakeholder is making a carbon neutral/net zero claim to check credibility (in time we will see certification to assist with this)
* If you need 3rd party verification now the pathway is a Carbon Assurance Verification/Validation Statement compliant with ISO 14065: 2020
The approach to ISO 14068
Core principles of ISO 14068
There are 10 core principles to the standard:
Transparency – Public disclosure to enable stakeholders to make decisions
Conservativeness – Assumptions, values and procedures ensure current progress is not overstated
GHG hierarchy approach:
- Reductions
- Removals within boundary & value chain (insetting)
- Offsetting
Supporting transition – Enables sustainable development and moving away from “business as usual”
Ambition:
- Meaningful contribution to global net zero target
- Those with higher capacity, historical responsibility and higher emissions act with higher ambition
Urgency
- Immediate and ongoing action
- Interim targets for substantial reduction in the short term
- Ongoing action over the long term
Science-based approach – Based on latest climate science and periodic reviews when making decisions
Avoiding adverse impacts – Actions towards carbon neutrality minimise adverse impacts on the environment and society beyond carbon
Accountability – Rests with the entity which controls the subject of any claim or objective
Value Chain and Life Cycle Approach – Includes the whole value chain upstream and downstream
For further information on the ISO 14068 standard and how you could start planning for it, a very useful webinar was held earlier this year – a link to the recording can be obtained here: https://www.jrpsolutions.com/form/webinars.
For more information on any of the above call 0800 6127 567 or email info@jrpsolutions.com.