Green House Gases & International Standards for GHG Quantification

GHG refers to the gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and emit infrared radiation. Eg: Natural GHGs - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor Man-made GHGs – hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) Many places around the world are implementing various initiatives to limit GHG concentrations in the atmosphere, to tackle climate change. These initiatives rely on the quantification, monitoring, reporting, validation and verification of GHG emissions and/or removals.

What are the International Standards/Technical Specification on GHG Quantification

Organizational Level: ISO 14064-1 ISO 14064-1 details the principles and requirements for designing, developing, managing and reporting an organization-level GHG inventory. A GHG inventory refers to an organization's physical units and processes that release and remove GHG into/from the atmosphere, and its GHG emissions and removals.

Project Level: ISO 14064-2 ISO 14064-2 focuses on projects that aim to reduce GHG emissions and/or increase GHG removals ("GHG projects"). The standard includes principles and requirements for determining project baseline scenarios and for monitoring, quantifying and reporting project performance relative to the baseline scenarios.

Product Carbon Footprint: ISO/TS 14067 ISO/TS 14067 specifies principles, requirements and guidelines for the quantification and communication of the carbon footprint of a product (CFP). CFP refers to the sum of GHG emissions and removals involved in the life cycle of a product.

What is GHG Validation & Verification?

For an organisation, "GHG verification" is to confirm a GHG inventory quantified and reported by that organisation. For a GHG project, "GHG validation" is to evaluate the GHG project plan before implementing that project. "GHG verification" is to confirm the reported GHG emission reductions and/or GHG removal enhancements that occur as a result of the project. For the carbon footprint of a product (CFP), "CFP verification" is to confirm the CFP study report

Why adopt GHG Validation and Verification? GHG Validation and Verification can: enhance the consistency, credibility and transparency of your GHG quantification, monitoring and reporting ,help develop and implement your organization's GHG management plans or GHG projects facilitate your tracking of the performance and progress in the reduction of GHG emissions and increase in GHG removals.