The International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) new Net Zero Guidelines recommend organisations choose technology and service providers “committed to robust net zero targets".

The new guidelines provide a "common reference for collective efforts, offering a global basis for harmonizing, understanding, and planning for net zero for actors at the state, regional, city and organizational level."

To address scope 3 emissions, organisations are encouraged to prioritise suppliers based on their climate strategy, past performance and transparency of emission data, in addition to other steps.

The document also covers the use of technology in other ways. For example, to address scope 1 and 2 emissions, it recommends organisations implement an energy management system to improve efficiency of energy consumption – a topic covered by ISO 50001. It also recommends optimising the energy use of buildings, including through digital automation.

The guidelines also encourage organisations to integrate climate criteria into research and development and product and service design processes, to improve energy performance and develop circular economy solutions.

They also recommend companies report the progress of mitigation efforts. Processes should be in place to ensure transparent communication and reporting of progress to net zero to interested parties, and information on progress should be publicly available.

Processes should also be established to continually improve the quality and comprehensiveness of data gathered to measure progress and estimate greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

Internet of Things (IoT) technology could play a “critical” role in helping companies measure, report on and reduce their carbon footprint, according to IoT Alliance Australia.

“We are very good at measuring production. We are not so good at measuring waste and we sure aren’t good at measuring consumption,” said IoTAA CEO Frank Zeichner at the IoTAA State of the Nation event in Sydney yesterday.

In Australia, some companies have announced scrutiny of third-party technology providers. For example, Vocus announced in October it was working with its third-party data centre providers to determine the optimal process for managing emissions associated with its facilities. It had begun a scope 3 screening process to assess and quantify its indirect emissions.