Well it is standardized , it is the metric system . Problem is after having voted for it in 1945 at the ICAO foundation , the US subsequently refused to apply and since the vast majority of the aircraft flying after WWII were theirs and in feet/NM , it continued .
Every attempt to revisit the discussion /modify this one way or another failed... and is unlikely to change if you ask me. Same discussion for inches versus milibars/hectopascals...
In this particular case I do not think meters/feet was the problem , more likely QFE/QNH if you ask me , but I am speculating, I have no info.