In 2010, over 30 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide were released into the atmosphere worldwide - that is an enormous amount of the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. The upcoming International Standard ISO 14067, Carbon footprint of products - Requirements and guidelines for quantification and communication, is being developed to increase transparency in quantifying and reporting CO2 emissions over the entire lifecycle of products and services - from production to recycling or waste disposal. The document is currently at the stage of Draft International Standard (DIS) and expected to be finalized for publication in March 2014.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) needs to be more widely adopted if it is to assist with mitigating climate change. Since International Standards would help to spread this technology, the first steps are being taken towards CCS standardization.

The South African economy is largely based on minerals’ extraction and processing, which is very energy intensive. The country’s unique energy mix and challenges have required a multi-pronged public and private sector response. The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), ISO member for the country, plays a pivotal role in developing relevant standards to enable the implementation of energy efficiency.