Registrars Prepare for Green House Gas Legislation

As part of President Obama's recently implemented National Fuel Efficiency policy, legislation regarding greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) is underway that could have a significant impact on some manufacturers. House Resolution 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, sponsored by Henry Waxman (D-California) and Edward Markey (D-Massachusetts), currently sits on the House floor. The legislation aims to reduce global warming pollution created by large power sources. The act includes a carbon cap-and-trade program that would work to reduce GHG emissions so that new ceiling levels can be met.

Proponents believe the new legislation would simplify production for manufacturers. Companies would no longer be complying with several different sets of regulations from state and federal governments. Instead, there would be only one national standard that all are held to.

The American Clean Air and Security Act, if passed, will force affected industries to create an emission inventory baseline and establish a plan that will reduce emission levels until the baseline is achieved, according to BSI, an ANSI-accredited registrar that provides validation/verification to companies engaged in the reduction and removal of greenhouse gases. Registrars, such as BSI, would audit companies to ensure they are meeting the requirements of any GHG legislation. This third-party assessment provides proof that a company's claims regarding it's handling of GHG are accurate. Although third-party audits and, at least for now, adherence to GHG standards, are voluntary at the moment, HR 2454 seems to leave open the possibility that an ANSI-accredited registrar might be required if GHG legislation is passed.

In an effort to ensure companies comply with the new legislative standards and to provide a mechanism to do so, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has created an opportunity for registrars to receive third-party accreditation through ANSI for their domestic and international GHG standards validation/verification functions. ANSI describes this accreditation opportunity as a way for industries to start taking responsibility for promoting integrity and consistency in emission reporting and reduction projects through the use of accredited registrars.

For their part, registrars are beginning to seek out ANSI accreditation for their GHG auditing functions.

“The clients are looking for a credible, reliable, and transparent verification of their [GHG] inventory," says Wilhelm Wang, product manager BSI, an ANSI-accredited registrar. "Therefore, BSI decided to pursue ANSI accreditation to demonstrate our commitment and validate our capability in this area.”

John Shideler, GHG program manager for NSF-ISR, another ANSI-accredited registrar, agrees and adds that “Accreditation also creates a layer of credibility that separates NSF-ISR from verifiers that do not follow internationally accepted guidelines.”

BSI and NSF are two of 10 certification bodies currently accredited for GHG validation/verification. The remaining eight are:

• Advanced Waste Management Systems
• Bureau Veritas Certification North America
• Complete Integrated Certification Services
• First Environment
• Rainforest Alliance
• Ryerson, Master and Associates
• Scientific Certification Systems
• SGS North America 

Accredited registrars such as BSI, NSF-ISR, and the others, play an important role in helping companies create and manage energy budgets, so the new legislation is increasing their business as well as the business of the companies they are auditing. A spokesperson for ANSI pointed out that with money on the table, accreditation is important. Anybody can go into the GHG validation/verification business and claim to perform GHG audits, but only an accredited registrar gives a company the assurance that the audit is complete and accurate.

Monitoring GHG emissions has become a multi-industry initiative. Companies dealing with everything from oil exploration to glass manufacturing have become involved. It saves time (energy efficiency) and money (cuts in production costs) in the long run.

“Improving fuel efficiency—and energy efficiency overall—contributes both to energy independence for the United States and to bottom line savings for companies,” says Shideler.

Greenhouse gases trap heat from the sun on the earth’s surface, which contributes to global warming, say scientists. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Chance (IPCC) concluded that there was evidence of human activity being the main contributor to this warming. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that six greenhouse gases endanger the health of individuals, four of which are emitted by cars. According to the Energy Information Agency (EIA) the United States accounted for 22 percent of the global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2004, but with new reduction plans in place this statistic is expected to drop by 1.8 percent annually until 2030.

More information:

ANSI: www.ansi.org/news_publications/news_story.aspx?menuid=7&articleid=2041  

BSI Emission Verification Services: www.bsiamerica.com/GHGEV 

NSF-ISR Greenhouse Gas Management: www.nsf.org/business/management_systems_registration/greenhouse_gas.asp  

About The Author

Brittany Vogel

Brittany Vogel is a reporter and editor for Quality Digest.