ISO members send net-zero draft back for revisions

A group of international standards bodies has voted down the first draft of a new global standard for corporate "net-zero" claims. The standard, called ISO 14060, is meant to set common rules for how companies define and report reaching net-zero emissions, including how they can use carbon credits. To move forward, a draft needs approval from two-thirds of voting members, with no more than a quarter voting no. This draft missed that mark and now goes back to committee for more work.

Close to 5,000 comments came in before the September deadline, and standards bodies from 88 countries took part in the vote. ISO does not release details on how individual countries voted, but people familiar with the talks say fossil-fuel producing nations were likely among those opposed. Other "no" votes may simply reflect a wish for more time to work out details, particularly the rules around carbon credits.

This is not something that changes anything about home energy programs, rebates, or upgrades right now. It is a corporate accounting standard, used by companies and governments to measure and report climate progress, not a rule that affects individual homeowners' projects or incentives. The bigger story is that ISO is working with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, another major framework used by businesses, to align their rules, with a joint draft expected in early 2027. For now, the net-zero standard itself remains unfinished, and there's no new deadline or program homeowners need to track.