New help to clear the air

PRESS RELEASE

18 February 2005

Accurately measuring, reporting and validating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals is to become easier for organisations, with three parts of an International Standard on GHGs out now for consultation by the British Standards Institution (BSI).

ISO standard 14064 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.

BSI is an active participant in the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) Committee for Environmental Management working group on climate change, to develop standards for measuring GHG emissions and removals. It is through BSI that the UK is officially represented in European and International standards.

Committee Manager, BSI British Standards, Amanda Tucker said, “Reducing GHG emissions is at the top of every agenda, BSI is now helping to address the question of how? Environmental Management is increasingly forming part of business strategy and this standard has been developed to help organisations manage their efforts in relation to GHG emissions. It will also address the growing requirement for an international standard in the market for emissions trading.”

There are a number of international, regional, national and local initiatives dedicated to encouraging the reduction of GHG emission or removal, but the first legally binding treaty on the environment, the Kyoto Protocol, becomes part of international law on February 16 2005.
It is this protocol that is largely driving the need for a standardised process for reporting climate change emission or removal inventories, and promoting their formal verification and validation by third parties.

“ISO 14064 has been developed to provide credibility, consistency and transparency internationally for quantifying, monitoring and reporting GHG emissions. Backed by experience of the UK’s own Emissions Trading Scheme, BSI’s involvement is vital to ensure UK interests and concerns are well represented. We hope that it will be welcomed by the international community and we’re looking forward to their feedback,” said Ms Tucker.

ISO 14064-1 operates at the organisation or company level and details principles and requirements for designing, developing, managing and reporting GHG inventories. ISO 14064-2 focuses on GHG projects or project-based activities specifically designed to reduce GHG emissions or increase GHG removals. ISO 14064-3 details principles and requirements for verifying GHG inventories and validating or verifying GHG projects.

ISO 14064, Parts 1-3 are now out for public comment until the end of April 2005.

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Notes to editor

Information on submitting comments and how to obtain a blank electronic version of a comment form are available on our Draft Review System
148 countries, including the likes of France, Germany, Canada, the US and Malaysia, contributed to the development of this standard
ISO 14064-1 includes: 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
ISO 14064-2 includes: principles and requirements for determining project baselines and for monitoring, quantifying and reporting project performance relative to the baseline and provides the basis for GHG projects to be validated and verified
ISO 14064-3 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. This part of ISO 14064 can be used by organisations or independent parties to validate or verify GHG assertions