The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has launched a 12-week public consultation on ISO 14060—the Net Zero Aligned Organizations Standard. The draft is the world’s first international, independently verifiable standard designed to help organisations build credible and comprehensive net zero transition plans.
Two business leaders reviewing a large-scale net-zero transition integrating CO₂ capture, renewable energy, and sustainable urban development under a unified climate strategy. AI generated picture.
The Draft International Standard is available for review by ISO’s national members across more than 170 countries. National consensus positions are due by early September. The consultation was launched ahead of London Climate Action Week.
More than 130 countries have committed to reducing carbon emissions to net zero, including China, India, and the European Union. Organisations face growing pressure to strengthen business models, manage supply chain disruption, and respond to evolving investor and regulatory expectations. Transition plans are the primary tool for managing this at the organisational level.
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ISO 14060 has been nearly two years in development, drawing on contributions from hundreds of experts across business, government, academia, civil society, and standards bodies worldwide. Its international working group is among the largest in ISO’s history. Noelia Garcia Nebra, Head of Sustainability and Partnerships at ISO, said the standard addresses a global need for consistency. ‘ISO 14060 has been developed to provide a globally agreed framework that helps organizations build credible transition plans while supporting resilience, innovation and long-term growth,’ she said.
Development of the standard is co-convened by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and ICONTEC, Colombia’s national standards body. BSI Chief Executive Susan Taylor Martin said ISO 14060 gives organisations stable ground rules during a period of economic and geopolitical uncertainty. ‘The ISO Net Zero Aligned Organizations Standard provides a globally recognised framework that helps organizations build resilience, manage climate risk, and demonstrate that their business plans are future-proofed,’ she said.
ISO 14060 covers emissions reduction pathways, energy security, supply chain resilience, and the integration of transition planning into broader business strategy. It builds on the ISO Net Zero Guidelines published in 2022. Ahead of London Climate Action Week, BSI and ISO will host a high-level session on how ISO 14060 and related frameworks—including ISO 32212, a new transition planning standard for financial institutions—can support alignment and reduce fragmentation across markets. Governments, businesses, researchers, and civil society organisations are invited to participate in the public consultation through their national standards body.
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As international standards like ISO 14060 raise the threshold for what constitutes a credible, independently verifiable net zero transition plan, the quality of the carbon credits underpinning those commitments comes under greater scrutiny.
Green Earth develops large-scale, nature-based carbon projects accredited by leading international standards, with full oversight of every stage of the project lifecycle—from design and implementation to long-term monitoring and credit issuance. Our projects restore ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, and improve community livelihoods, delivering verified environmental impact that stands up to scrutiny. For businesses navigating an evolving regulatory landscape, that integrity is what counts.
