ISO 14064-1 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Verification Services
Executive Overview: Supporting Credible GHG Reporting
As organizations respond to climate targets, environmental regulations, stakeholder expectations, and the transition to a low-carbon economy, reliable quantification and independent verification of greenhouse gas (GHG) information have become increasingly important.
ATC International Group Ltd provides independent and impartial ISO 14064-1 GHG verification services. Our verification activities are designed to provide an objective, systematic, and evidence-based assessment of an organization’s GHG inventory against defined verification criteria.
What is ISO 14064-1:2018?
ISO 14064-1:2018 specifies principles and requirements at the organization level for the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals. It provides a framework for organizations to establish, develop, manage, report, and improve their GHG inventories.
The standard addresses organizational boundaries, reporting boundaries, identification of GHG sources and sinks, quantification methodologies, data quality, reporting, and the management of relevant information needed to support a credible GHG inventory.
Key Areas Covered in an Organizational GHG Inventory
1. Direct GHG Emissions
Direct GHG emissions arise from GHG sources that are owned or controlled by the organization.
- Stationary combustion: Fuel consumption in boilers, furnaces, turbines, generators, and other stationary equipment.
- Mobile combustion: Fuel consumption associated with vehicles and mobile equipment owned or controlled by the organization.
- Process emissions: Emissions resulting from physical or chemical processes, such as clinker production, chemical processing, or metallurgical activities.
- Fugitive emissions: Unintentional releases from refrigeration systems, gas systems, pipelines, industrial equipment, and similar sources.
2. Indirect GHG Emissions from Imported Energy
Indirect emissions associated with the generation of imported electricity, steam, heating, cooling, or other forms of energy consumed by the organization, as applicable to the organization’s inventory and reporting boundaries.
3. Other Indirect GHG Emissions
Other indirect GHG emissions may arise from relevant upstream and downstream activities within the organization’s reporting boundary. The identification and quantification of these emissions are determined according to the applicable requirements of ISO 14064-1 and the organization’s defined inventory.
Examples may include: purchased goods and services, capital goods, transportation and distribution, employee commuting, business travel, waste-related activities, use of sold products, and end-of-life treatment, where relevant and applicable.
Benefits of Independent ISO 14064-1 Verification
1. Regulatory and Market Requirements
Independent GHG verification can provide independent evidence regarding the conformity of the GHG assertion with defined verification criteria. Where GHG data are required for regulatory or market mechanisms such as the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), organizations should ensure that the applicable CBAM methodology and verification requirements are specifically addressed.
2. Supply Chain Transparency and B2B Confidence
Independent verification provides customers, business partners, and other stakeholders with increased confidence in the reliability and transparency of reported GHG information.
3. ESG and Sustainability Reporting
Verified GHG information can provide independently verified GHG information for use by relevant stakeholders, subject to the applicable reporting framework, subject to the applicable reporting framework and its specific requirements.
4. Identification of Emission Hotspots
The verification process can identify data gaps, inconsistencies, calculation issues, and areas requiring improved controls, identifying data gaps, inconsistencies, calculation issues, and other verification findings.
5. Increased Confidence in Environmental Claims
Independent verification can provide greater confidence in relevant GHG claims and reported information by evaluating the underlying data, methodologies, calculations, and supporting evidence against defined criteria.
| Feature / Aspect | ISO 14064-1 | ISO 14067 | GHG Protocol Corporate Standard |
| Primary focus | Organization-level GHG inventory quantification and reporting | Product carbon footprint quantification based on life-cycle assessment principles | Corporate GHG accounting and reporting framework |
| Boundary | Organizational and reporting boundaries defined for the GHG inventory | Defined product system and life-cycle boundary | Corporate operations and value-chain emissions, including Scopes 1, 2 and 3 |
| Verification | Can be subject to independent verification against defined criteria | Can be subject to independent verification of the product carbon footprint | Provides accounting and reporting guidance; verification may be performed using applicable assurance/verification frameworks |
| Typical users | Organizations, customers, regulators, investors, and other stakeholders | Manufacturers, product owners, customers, procurement teams, and other stakeholders | Organizations and sustainability/accounting professionals |
The ATC International Verification Process
ATC follows a structured verification process designed to provide a systematic, objective, and evidence-based evaluation of the GHG assertion. Verification activities are conducted in accordance with the applicable verification criteria and relevant requirements of ISO 14064-3.
Why Choose ATC for Independent Verification?
- Global capability: Competent personnel and technical resources supporting verification activities across relevant international markets.
- Impartiality: ATC maintains impartiality and independence throughout the verification process and manages identified risks to impartiality.
- Industrial expertise: Experience and technical capability across relevant industrial sectors, including energy-intensive manufacturing, metals, construction products, chemicals, textiles, and logistics.
- Structured verification: A documented verification approach based on defined criteria, risk-based planning, objective evidence, and independent review.
- Confidentiality: Information obtained during verification is handled in accordance with applicable confidentiality and information security requirements.