Accreditation Program addresses greenhouse gas validation.

Press Release Summary:



With growing global awareness of need for environmental protection and sustainability, organizations are eager to demonstrate efforts to report greenhouse gas emissions. ANSI's pilot accreditation program is intended for 3rd party bodies working to validate and verify greenhouse gas emission assertions. ANSI accreditation recognizes competence of bodies to carry out conformity assessment activities in accordance with requirements defined in applicable International Standards.



Original Press Release:



Strong Start for ANSI Pilot Accreditation Program for Greenhouse Gas Validation and Verification



With a growing global awareness of the need for environmental protection and sustainability, organizations are eager to demonstrate their efforts to report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Earlier this year, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) announced the launch of a pilot accreditation program for third-party bodies working to validate and verify GHG emission assertions for a broad spectrum of industries.

ANSI accreditation recognizes the competence of bodies to carry out conformity assessment activities in accordance with the requirements defined in applicable International Standards. In the case of the GHG program, the ANSI accreditation process operates according to ISO 14065:2007, Greenhouse gases - Requirements for greenhouse gas validation and verification bodies for use in accreditation or other forms of recognition.

Validation and verification bodies interested in joining ANSI's pilot program were invited to submit preliminary letters of application by May 15, 2008. Nearly seventy submittals were received.

"This large response to our call for applications certainly exceeded expectations," said Reinaldo Figueiredo, ANSI program director for product certification accreditation.

Interested applicants attended an orientation meeting on May 16, 2008, in San Diego, California, where they had an opportunity to meet with representatives from the California Climate Action Registry (CCAR), The Climate Registry (TCR), and ANSI.

The pilot program will assess organizations against The Climate Registry's Verification Protocol (currently under revision), as well as the ISO 14064 series of standards (Parts 1 to 3) on Greenhouse gases.

"ANSI is a logical solutions provider to support greenhouse gas measurement initiatives across the nation," added Mr. Figueiredo. "We are proud to be working with well-respected partners like CCAR and TCR, and to offer our accreditation services to such an expansive array of validation and verification bodies."

"ANSI's internationally recognized accreditation adds significant value by strengthening consumer confidence and promoting best industry practices for the validation and verification of GHG emissions," added Jill Gravender, TCR vice president for policy. "We are pleased to be working with ANSI in our efforts to help organizations measure their greenhouse gas emission footprints."

Organizations that have been approved for participation in the pilot program will have until June 16, 2008, to submit their complete applications. Initial on-site assessments, as well as witness assessments, will be conducted during the summer months. Pilot applicants who demonstrate compliance with the program's requirements will be accredited simultaneously on December 1, 2008.

Additional applications for the GHG accreditation program continue to be accepted, although new program participants will not enter the accreditation process until after December 1, when the pilot accreditations are completed. To learn more about the requirements or the application process, please visit the program webpage or contact Reinaldo Figueiredo (rfigueir@ansi.org; 202.331.3611).

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