Goal-setting, both necessary and optional, is one policy that can assist us in getting there. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the largest global standard-setting body, exhorts organizations of all stripes—including corporations, business associations, nonprofits, and educational institutions—to set a goal of having net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, if not sooner. Despite offering "guiding principles and recommendations to enable a common approach with a high level of ambition," ISO's "IWA 42:2022" document (see above) does not suggest any particular courses of action.
In January, ISO released ISO PAS 50010: 2023, a new guideline document that offers specific advice for how an organization should define and achieve net zero energy and emissions targets that get more and more effective over time. "It distinguishes between several different scopes and boundaries for... different net zero goals and their targets, which are correspondingly more challenging to achieve and increasingly effective at reducing energy and GHG emissions." The organization should create a multi-year strategy to go from more modest net zero goals to more ambitious ones in subsequent years, resulting in ever-decreasing GHG emissions, according to the recommendation.