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The 27th<\/sup>\u00a0Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is being held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on 6-18 November 2022. ISO and its members join ranks with world change makers to showcase how International Standards help transform climate commitments into action.\u00a0Our coverage of COP27 provides an overview and greater insights of ISO\u2019s work in this area, from in-depth features to thought-provoking think pieces.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Climate change is an existential threat for humanity. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading international authority on climate science, announced this year that climate change is already causing enormous destruction and suffering, with\u00a03.5 billion people\u00a0highly vulnerable to climate impacts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tragically, it is these people who tend to have the least agency in the transition to a greener future. To effectively rethink global energy production, management and consumption, it is important everyone participates and contributes. All voices must be heard to ensure a just transition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As the world meets in Egypt for\u00a0COP27, it does so amid warnings that action is not being taken anywhere near fast enough. The United Nations Environment Programme warned in October that, despite countries having agreed at COP26 last year to step up their climate ambitions, those new pledges would only\u00a0reduce emissions by 1\u202f%\u00a0by 2030, while scientists advise they must be\u00a0approximately halved\u00a0by the end of the decade.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cUnless there are immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to close to 1.5\u202f\u00b0C or even 2\u202f\u00b0C will be beyond reach,\u201d the\u00a0IPCC said. But drastic action of this magnitude cannot take place without large-scale international collaboration. It will require commitments from every stakeholder\u202f\u2013 from industry leaders to governments\u202f\u2013 to ensure that the transition to a low-carbon economy is fair and inclusive so that no one is left behind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A key theme for COP27 is a \u201cjust and fair energy transition\u201d, with the topic set for discussion on Energy Day, focusing on Africa. Many African countries face a finance gap, which prevents them from investing in the necessary infrastructure and technology. This is emblematic of a wider imbalance. The countries most severely affected by climate change impacts, such as\u00a0small island nations, have contributed little to the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. They are also not as well placed as others\u202f\u2013 particularly those which enjoyed rapid economic development on the back of fossil fuel consumption\u202f\u2013 to enact climate action and adaptations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There is an increasing feeling that countries most vulnerable to climate change should have more of a voice in defining the course of climate action. ISO is determined to respond to these calls. Its\u00a0Action Plan for developing countries\u00a0is intended to support wider participation of developing countries in the drafting of climate standards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Global electricity demand is currently increasing faster than renewable capacity.<\/span><\/p>\n Global electricity demand is currently\u00a0increasing faster than renewable capacity. This creates an overarching challenge in not just how we produce energy in a sustainable, ecologically friendly way, but also how we manage it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This is a serious challenge, but far from impossible. According to the International Monetary Fund,\u00a0almost USD\u202f6 trillion\u00a0were spent on fossil fuel subsidies in 2020 alone. Some of this money must be redirected to support the expansion of green energy capacity\u202f\u2013 the International Energy Agency estimates\u00a0USD\u202f4 trillion a year\u00a0could be sufficient. If the share of renewables in global electricity generation can be approximately\u00a0doubled to 60\u202f%\u00a0by 2030, the world will be back on track to meet the aims of the Paris Agreement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In certain ways, energy management might be considered \u201clow-hanging fruit\u201d in the climate change challenge, providing financial as well as environmental benefit at relatively low cost. For instance, retrofitting insulation in UK homes has been identified as one of the most cost-effective routes to\u00a0reducing national emissions. Hilton, the first global hospitality business to achieve full certification to ISO\u2019s energy management standard (ISO 50001), was able to\u00a0reduce its energy intensity by 20\u202f% and carbon intensity by 30\u202f%. Not only is this a major step forward in the company\u2019s green mission, it is a boon for its balance sheet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Standards provide a foundation of trust and consensus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The transition continues to gather momentum, and there is much positive energy at work already. Commitments arising from the Paris Agreement, COP26 and ISO\u2019s\u00a0London Declaration, for example, clearly illustrate a brewing desire to change things for the better. This must be underpinned by shared and solid common ground\u202f\u2013 definitions, processes and progress tracking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n International Standards\u202f\u2013 and standards bodies\u202f\u2013 have an important part to play as the world comes together to face this challenge, at COP27 and beyond. Standards provide a foundation of trust and consensus on which we can cooperate to enact the energy transition. There are already many International Standards providing guidance on implementing solar energy systems and biofuels, for instance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ISO launched its\u00a0Net Zero Guidelines\u00a0at COP27 to further its commitment to the climate agenda and to provide an internationally agreed-upon definition of \u201cnet zero\u201d, setting out mechanisms for reporting progress towards that goal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The picture is clear, the situation is dire, but the ambition to fight climate change is there\u202f\u2013 now it needs to be turned into action.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Read more<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lloydsun.espain.center\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lloydsun.espain.center\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lloydsun.espain.center\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lloydsun.espain.center\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=43"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lloydsun.espain.center\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108,"href":"https:\/\/lloydsun.espain.center\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43\/revisions\/108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lloydsun.espain.center\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lloydsun.espain.center\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=43"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lloydsun.espain.center\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=43"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Red alert\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
A just transition\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
In practice\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Standardizing collaboration\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n