ISO 14066 is a new standard intended to achieve consistency in the global carbon market and maintain public confidence in greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) developed the standard, which provides guidance on the level of competency required by those responsible for verifying (GHG) emissions.
As it becomes standard practice for organizations to inventory, report, and reduce GHG emissions, it’s vital to assure the credibility of these claims. Many organizations are turning to third-party bodies to validate and verify emission assertions.
"The accuracy of an organization’s GHG emissions claims is essential, considering the political and financial ramifications of each claim," says Tod Delaney, Convenor of the ISO working group responsible for ISO 14066. "If an organization publishes claims that are later discovered to be unreliable, it risks damages both financially and in terms of their reputation. This is why the competence of those assessing such claims is absolutely crucial."
The new ISO standard sets out detailed lists of the skills and knowledge that must be possessed by the auditing team personnel – with the focus on team rather than individual competency.
ISO 14066 is the latest document in the ISO toolbox of standards to address climate change and GHG emissions. These were launched in 2006 with ISO 14064, a three-part standard for assessing GHG emission reduction projects in either voluntary or regulatory schemes.
The standard was followed by ISO 14065, which gives accreditation requirements for organizations that validate or verify resulting GHG emission assertions or claims.
"Claims made about reductions of the greenhouse gas emissions can have political and financial implications, in addition to environmental and technical ones," says Dr. Chan Kook Weng, Chair of ISO subcommittee SC 7 that developed the new standard. "ISO 14066 is a companion standard to ISO 14065 in assuring integrity and consistency in emission reporting and reduction projects across industry sectors and geographical borders. It is also a standard for ‘Who watches the watchman’ so as to build up trust and confidence in assessing GHG assertions."
In June, the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute and the Environmental Careers Organization of Canada (ECO Canada) created a new certification program carbon management professionals.
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