Climate change standards are now global: ISO 14064 applies to all countries

  • Do you know what ISO standards apply to Climate Change and Carbon Emissions?

What is ISO 14064

The ISO (International Organisation for Standardization) is the world’s largest developer and publisher of International Standards. ISO is a non-governmental organisation that forms a bridge between the public and private sectors. It is a network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries. ISO 14064 was developed over several years by the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO). ISO 14064 enables organizations to:

  • Understand and quantify the GHG emissions for which they are responsible (onsite, direct, scopes)
  • Focus on major GHG sources (priorities/risk)
  • Develop GHG management systems
  • Report a verifiable, credible GHG emissions report
  • Be compared with other organizations that use the same standard

 

Question: Under the Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors’ Report) Regulations 2013, must companies use a particular methodology for their calculations?

There is no prescribed methodology under the regulations, but for effective emissions management and transparency in reporting it is important that use be made of robust and accepted methods. It is recommended by Defra that firms use a widely recognized independent standard, such as • ISO 14064 – Greenhouse gases. Part 1 (2006) • The WRI / WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (Revised Edition) • UK Government’s Environmental Reporting Guidance (2013 version).

Carbon Action ISO 14064 Part 1 Training programme (Developed by the Canadian Standards Association(CSA) on behalf of ISO) includes specific modules on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (Revised Edition) following an agreement between ISO and the WRI / WBCSD. Thus, to maximise your corporate reporting, attendance at these courses will increase the robustness of your firm’s reports as the programme covers both of the Defra recommended methodologies.

Carbon Action’s knowledgeable and dedicated advisory services group can help you to:

  • Build your team
  • Establish organizational boundaries
  • Identify sources, sinks and reservoirs
  • Establish a GHG management system
  • Prepare your carbon inventory report
  • Take steps to become carbon neutral
  • Obtain proper verification
  • Get recognition

 

Carbon Action’s Training Programmes include:-

  1. Measuring your corporate GHG inventory (“Carbon Footprint”): ISO 14064 – 1
  2. Reducing Your Organizational Environmental Impact ISO 14064-2 Essentials: Greenhouse Gas Projects
  3. Greenhouse Gas Validation using ISO 14064-3
  4. Greenhouse Gas Verification using ISO 14064-3

 

Our advisory services and our ISO training programmes provide clear and robust answers and solutions to the following Carbon FAQ’s with which many organisations struggle:

  • What should I consider when setting out to account for and report emissions?
  • How do I deal with complex company structures and shared ownership?
  • What is the difference between direct and indirect emissions and what is their relevance?
  • Which indirect emissions should I report?
  • How do I account for and report outsourced and leased operations?
  • What is a base year and why do I need one?
  • My emissions change with acquisitions and divestitures. How do I account for these?
  • How do I identify my company’s emission sources?
  • What kinds of tools are there to help me calculate emissions?
  • What data collection activities and data management issues do my facilities have to deal with?
  • What determines the quality and credibility of my emissions information?
  • How should I account for and report GHG offsets that I sell or purchase?
  • What information should be included in a GHG public emissions report?
  • What data must be available to obtain external verification of the inventory data?
  • What is involved in setting an emissions target and how do I report performance in relation to my target?

 

If you need help with these questions then Carbon Action can provide immediate solutions by way of training your people internally or by providing specialist GHG reporting advisory services. Contact Charles Burgess at charlesburgess@carbonaction.co.uk for immediate assistance with these questions.