What is ISO 14068-1:2023 - Carbon neutrality about?
An ISO standard dedicated to defining the criteria & requirements for organisations looking to achieve internationally-recognised carbon neutrality, and the successor to PAS 2060. This standard has a greater emphasis on scope 3 accountability and reductions/removals over offsets in demonstrating organisational carbon neutrality.
ISO 14068-1:2023 is a new international standard setting out strong principles and detailed and verifiable requirements on quantification and reduction or removal of GHG emissions. Users gain clear, best practice guidance that will allow them to make verifiable claims of carbon or climate neutrality.
There will be a period of 24 months from the date of publication of ISO 14068-1:2023 before the PAS 2060:2014 document will be withdrawn. This is to allow users to address changes that may be needed to meet the revised requirements detailed in the new ISO 14068-1:2023 standard.
Who is ISO 14068-1:2023 - Carbon neutrality for?
ISO 14068-1:2023 can be used by any organisation, in the private or public sectors, that wishes to make either the organisation or a product climate neutral. Organisations can be of any size, but exclude territories such as cities. Products may be consumer-facing or business to business, and include all types of goods and services, including events and financial services.
What does ISO 14068-1:2023 - Carbon neutrality cover?
Why should you use ISO 14068-1:2023 - Carbon neutrality
- Climate action. ISO 14068-1:2023 gives organisations a structured process for developing a detailed carbon neutrality management plan with short- and long-term targets. It gives organisations an effective tool with which to combat the climate emergency.
- Quality. In contrast to unsubstantiated claims of neutrality, claims under ISO 14068-1:2023 have to be based on all GHGs, take a lifecycle approach and can only be made after the development of long-term planning, with real GHG reductions in place, and offsetting restricted to residual emissions using high quality carbon credits. Adopters can be confident that claims made using ISO 14068-1 are meaningful.
- Credibility. Use of this internationally recognized standard can likewise confer market benefits by increasing the credibility and verifiability of a product or organisational claim of carbon neutrality. Stakeholders can have increased confidence that claims are transparent and reliable, increasing their loyalty to organisations that adopt ISO 14068-1:2023.
- Global recognition. ISO 14068-1:2023 provides a common set of criteria for measuring and reporting carbon neutrality. This ensures consistency across different organisations and industries, underpins easer comparisons for carbon neutrality efforts between entities, allows stakeholders to assess and benchmark efforts, and supports global recognition for claims of carbon neutrality.
- Convenience. ISO 14068-1:2023 is designed to work with either ISO’s own quantification standards or other equivalent protocols.
- Flexibility. ISO 14068-1:2023 can be used by any sized organisation, in any country or sector. It can also be applied to whole organisations or individual products.
- Responsibility. The standard encourages organisations to take responsibility for minimizing their own carbon footprint before paying third parties to offset their emissions.
- Cost effective. The standard’s hierarchy determines a pathway to carbon neutrality that prioritizes emissions reductions. These are often the most cost-effective way of reducing a carbon footprint, avoiding the need for potentially costly carbon credits.
- Risk mitigation. Adopters of ISO 14068-1:2023 will be in a strong position to manage current and emerging regulatory and market risks in relation to GHG emissions.
- Competitiveness. A demonstrable commitment to climate action can also mitigate reputational risks and enhance brand value, market access and competitiveness.