LEGISLATION
WHAT IS THE GREENHOUSE GAS STANDARD ISO 14068 AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU? 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
Fig. 1.
Reducing primary consumption
GHG removals within the boundary (i.e. direct removals and value chain insetting) Offsetting of residual emissions 40
ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023
