Standards verify greenhouse gas emissions

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Sep 8, 2006

Three new international standards help organisations respond to the challenges of climate change.

To help organisations respond to the challenges of climate change the British Standards Institution (BSI) has published three new international standards intended for use not just by environmentalists but all government departments, businesses and organisations.

Global initiatives to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere rely on the quantification, monitoring, reporting and verification of GHG emissions and/or removals, driven largely by the Kyoto Protocol which became part of international law on 16th February 2005.

The Kyoto Protocol identifies the need for a standardised process for reporting climate change emission or removal inventories, and promoting their formal verification and validation by third parties.

Nigel Carter, BSI Committee Chairman of SES/1/-/5 Greenhouse Gas Management said: "The challenge of climate change remains high on the agenda of large corporate energy users".

"BS ISO14064 provides an alternative and transparent process for verifying GHG emissions and for validating potential projects for offsetting removals".

"The market for offsets in climate change emissions continues to grow".

"Outside the realms of the EU and the regional trading schemes, ISO14064 offers a unique medium for companies wishing to validate capacity internationally or verify offsets they are seeking to acquire".

"In addition, the imminent publication of the complementary standard ISO14065, will give competent bodies the opportunity to establish schemes for accredited verifiers and validators bringing the ultimate authority for transactions".

BS ISO14064 parts 1-3 provides guidance at both the organisation and project levels for the design, compilation, maintenance and reporting of GHG inventories; the planning and monitoring of project performance as well as guidance for those managing validation or certification of GHG assertions.

BS ISO14064-1:2006 "Greenhouse gases: Specification with guidance at the organisation level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals" details principles and requirements for designing, developing, managing and reporting organisation- or company-level GHG inventories.

It includes requirements for determining GHG emission boundaries, quantifying an organisation's GHG emissions and removals and identifying specific company actions or activities aimed at improving GHG management.

It also includes requirements and guidance on inventory quality management, reporting, internal auditing and the organisation's responsibilities in verification activities.

BS ISO14064-2:2006 "Greenhouse gases: Specification with guidance at the project level for quantification, monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions reductions or removal enhancements" focuses on GHG projects or project-based activities specifically designed to reduce GHG emissions or increase GHG removals.

It includes principles and requirements for determining project baseline scenarios and for monitoring, quantifying and reporting project performance relative to the baseline scenario and provides the basis for GHG projects to be validated and verified.

BS ISO14064-3:2006 "Greenhouse gases: Specification with guidance for the validation and verification of greenhouse gas assertions" details principles and requirements for verifying GHG inventories and validating or verifying GHG projects.

It describes the process for GHG-related validation or verification and specifies components such as validation or verification planning, assessment procedures and the evaluation of organisation or project GHG assertions.

BS ISO14064-3 can be used by organisations or independent parties to validate or verify GHG assertions.