ISO, SBTi, and the LCAW Verdict on Corporate Net Zero - with Kaya Axelsson

ISO, SBTi, and the LCAW Verdict on Corporate Net Zero - with Kaya Axelsson

June 30, 2026 · 28 min · Season 1 · Episode 85

About this episode

The episode discusses the launch of the ISO and SBTi standards for corporate net zero and their implications for companies and carbon markets.

In this episode of The CDR Policy Scoop, Sebastian Manhart and Eve Tamme are joined by Kaya Axelsson, Research and Policy Fellow at Oxford Net Zero, just days after what she describes as the most anticipated Monday of her year: June 22, when both the ISO Net Zero Standard and the SBTi Corporate Net Zero Standard launched at London Climate Action Week. Kaya spent three years inside both standard-setting processes, and the conversation captures what this convergence moment actually means for companies, for carbon markets, and for carbon removal. The episode opens on what Kaya calls the single global playbook. Her case: the two standards don't fundamentally contradict each other. ISO is wider in scope, internationally governed via WTO-compatible processes, and a natural tool for trade policy, green public procurement, and claims legislation, particularly in markets across Africa and Asia that SBTi has yet to reach. SBTi brings detailed near-term implementation guidance and the momentum of eleven thousand companies already signed up. Kaya explains how she sees companies using them together and what each does better than the other. But she is not without concerns. The episode surfaces…

People in this episode

Hosts: Eve Tamme, Sebastian Manhart

Guest: Kaya Axelsson

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Oxford Net Zero, ISO, SBTi

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