“Carbon neutral”: a definition to be standardized

What exactly does “carbon neutral” mean? It will soon be an international voluntary standard that will say so, just to put everyone on the same page! French professionals are invited to give their point of view.

Carbon neutrality, low-carbon strategy,net zero emissions… These concepts are increasingly appearing in French and European legislation and regulations, encouraging companies to adopt them as part of their CSR approach. The National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC) is France’s roadmap for drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and thus combating climate change. It takes over from Factor 4, a strategy that has long been a cornerstone of public policy, with the ambition of dividing national greenhouse gas emissions by 4 by 2050 compared with 1990. The Paris Climate Agreement, at the end of 2015, calls for shifting up a gear, to limit global warming to 2°C, if possible 1.5°C, by 2100, compared with the pre-industrial era. Five years later, the Twenty-Seven agreed to increase the emissions reduction effort to -55% by 2030, instead of the previous -40%, still compared to 1990.

Against this backdrop, carbon-neutrality claims are flourishing for all kinds of activities. More than 1,500 companies worldwide, representing over $12,000 billion in sales, have committed to “carbon neutrality” goals, according to a joint study by the NewClimate Institute and Data-Driven Envirolab. But what exactly does this term mean? What communication terms should be used to declare a product or service “carbon neutral”? On what perimeter? The answer lies in voluntary standards. A draft standard is currently being prepared by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), at the initiative of the UK. This future standard, made by and for professionals, will apply to all public and private organizations, large and small, whatever the products and services they offer.

To explain the process and consolidate a French position at ISO, AFNOR invites you to a free web-conference on January 26, 2021. Xuan-Hoa Nguyen, standards project manager on this subject, will present the challenges of this future standard. She will be surrounded by specialists:

• Fanny Fleuriot, Adaptation, Planning and Low-Carbon Trajectories Division, ADEME
• Catherine Chevauché, Director, Business Unit Climate & Circular Economy, Suez
• César Dugast, Senior Consultant at Carbone 4

Participation is free, but registration is compulsory. Tomorrow’s standards are being prepared today. And certainly not without you!

 

See also our dossier on how to make a commitment to climate protection and low-carbon thinking.