ISO 14064-3 Greenhouse Gases - Part 3: Specification with Guidance for the Verification and Validation of Greenhouse Gas Statements

The "ISO 14064-3 Greenhouse gases - Part 3: Specification including guidance for the verification and validation of greenhouse gas statements" standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) describes the principles and requirements and provides guidance for the verification and validation of greenhouse gas statements. This standard is valid for organization, project and product greenhouse gas statements.

The ISO 14060 family of standards is greenhouse gas programme neutral. If a greenhouse gas programme is applicable, its requirements are in addition to those of the ISO 14060 family of standards. The ISO 14060 family of standards provides clarity and consistency for measuring, monitoring, reporting and verifying or confirming greenhouse gas emissions and removals in order to support sustainable development through a low-carbon economy and to benefit organizations, project owners and stakeholders worldwide.

For the purposes of the ISO 14064-3 standard, the following terms and definitions apply:

• Greenhouse gases are both natural and anthropogenic gaseous components of the atmosphere. The Earth's surface absorbs and emits radiation at specific wavelengths in the infrared radiation spectrum emitted by the atmosphere and clouds. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.
• In terms of global warming potential, the index is based on the radiative properties of greenhouse gases. It measures the radiative forcing after a pulse emission of a unit mass of a given greenhouse gas in the present-day atmosphere, integrated over a selected time horizon with respect to a unit mass of carbon dioxide.
• The greenhouse gas emission or removal factor refers to the greenhouse gas emission or removal factor coefficient that relates greenhouse gas activity data to greenhouse gas emissions or greenhouse gas removals.
• Product carbon footprint: The sum of greenhouse gas emissions and greenhouse gas removals in a product system, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents, and is based on a life cycle assessment using the single impact category of climate change. A product carbon footprint can be broken down into a series of figures that identify specific greenhouse gas emissions and greenhouse gas removals. The carbon footprint can also be broken down into life cycle stages.
• A greenhouse gas programme records, calculates or manages greenhouse gas emissions, greenhouse gas removals, greenhouse gas emission reductions or greenhouse gas removal improvements outside a voluntary or mandatory international, national or local system or scheme, agency or greenhouse gas project. A greenhouse gas programme may also record, calculate or manage greenhouse gas emissions, greenhouse gas removals, greenhouse gas emission reductions or greenhouse gas removal improvements from products.

Verification is a systematic, independent and documented process for evaluating a greenhouse gas claim against agreed verification criteria. Verification of greenhouse gas claims provides an independent assessment of the data associated with a greenhouse gas inventory or project and often provides an opinion on the accuracy of the estimates or measurements, thereby providing confidence to others interested in the results.

Climate change, resulting from a variety of adverse activities, is one of the greatest challenges facing the world and will continue to impact businesses and citizens for decades to come. Climate change has impacts on both human and natural systems and can have significant impacts on resource availability, economic activity, and human well-being.

The ISO 14064-3 standard provides detailed requirements for verifying greenhouse gas statements related to greenhouse gas inventories, greenhouse gas projects, and the carbon footprints of products. This standard describes the verification or validation process, including verification or validation planning, assessment procedures, and evaluation of organizational, project, and product greenhouse gas statements.

Among the numerous testing, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies that our organization has provided for businesses in various sectors, it also provides certification and testing services defined in the standard “ISO 14064-3 Greenhouse gases - Part 3: Specification including guidelines for the verification and validation of greenhouse gas statements” with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.