LRQA’s Dr Warris Authors new Voluntary Carbon Standard

VCS 2007 adds credibility and transparency to Voluntary Carbon Market

London, November 21 – LRQA’s Dr Anne-Marie Warris, Technical Director Climate Change was retained by the VCS Steering Committee to author the new Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS 2007) based on their decisions. Her technical expertise was also crucial in the final version of the standard, as her work with the International Standards Organisation (ISO) has resulted in elements of ISO 14064 and ISO 14065 being incorporated into the VCS 2007 and its reference documents, the first time ISO has agreed to their standards being integrated into a non-ISO global standard. ¹

The VCS Association and the founding members;  International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), The Climate Group (TCG) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), launched the VCS 2007 at the London Stock Exchange earlier this week. The standard, which was developed over a two-year period and included consultation with over 1,000 stakeholders, will provide organisations, individuals and corporations with the credibility and assurance needed to invest in voluntary carbon offset schemes around the globe.

Kerryn Schrank, Program Director of BP’s targetneutral™ emphasised the relevance of the VCS 2007 for major corporations looking to invest in the voluntary carbon market, “The Voluntary Carbon Standard brings a new level of assurance to the voluntary offset market and gives buyers confidence.”

In addition to the strength of the VCS Steering Committee, the cooperation of ISO and Dr Warris authoring the standard, the VCS 2007 has two benefits that help establish it as the only truly global option for the voluntary carbon market; one is that validation and verification must be performed by organisations accredited by a member of the International Accreditation Forum, using ISO 14065 or accredited by a VCS approved GHG programme, the other being that all Voluntary Carbon Units (VCU’s) must be held in a VCS approved registry, providing assurance against double counting and double trading of carbon credits.

Dr Warris, commenting on the importance of the VCS 2007, said, “VCS 2007 will help to eliminate two key uncertainties in the voluntary offset market today. Firstly, the concern that, if an organisation pays to offset a tonne of CO2, that the reduction in emissions achieved by the offset project might not equal one tonne, and secondly, the concern that their tonne of CO2 may have been ‘double counted’.

Dr Warris explains the importance of the VCS and some of its key features and benefits on a podcast which is a part of the comprehensive materials that can be found at www.businessassurance.com/vcs. Other materials that can be found there include the actual VCS 2007, blog posts related to the development and implementation of the standard, reference materials including research reports on the voluntary carbon market as well as further information created and distributed by the VCS Association. A further podcast featuring interviews with VCS Association Board members will be available on the site by November 23rd.

The global voluntary carbon market, which Al Gore called, “a remarkable area of innovation in the fight to control global warming”², accounted for 23.7 million tonnes of CO2 in 2006 worth an estimated $91 million.³ Industry experts are forecasting that figure rising to at least $4 billion over the next five years.

Mark Kenber, Policy Director of The Climate Group, added, “All the stakeholders in the emerging voluntary carbon market recognise that standards are critical. Our Voluntary Carbon Standard introduces a stringent quality assurance to the market and underpins consumer confidence, market credibility and innovation in low carbon technologies.”

Dr Warris’ work in developing and authoring the standard was crucial in assuring that the standard is a robust one that combines the insight and experience of the VCS Steering Committee with the expertise of ISO. The VCS 2007 has the potential to provide the voluntary carbon market with the transparency and credibility needed to ensure that the regulated market is not the only avenue for organisations, individuals and corporations looking to reduce their carbon footprint and make a measurable difference in the battle against climate change.

LRQA launches new services to BS 25999

Management systems certification, verification and training body, LRQA has launched a range of services for organisations wanting to meet the requirements of business continuity standard, BS 25999 part 2 in advance of its formal publication expected in November.

One of the fastest selling standards in UK history, BS 25999 is the official standard for business continuity management developed by a team of industry experts, including LRQA. When published, part two of the standard which forms the Specification will, for the first time enable organisations to have their business continuity management system independently certified.

LRQA is now able to provide a full range of services including public training courses and pre-assessment options in addition to formal certification. Key to LRQA’s service is its commitment to providing highly trained assessors. 

Denis Ives, LRQA Business Centre Manager explains: “Being able to field appropriately trained assessors who have undergone rigorous BCI–accredited training is a crucial element in being able to provide a high quality service to organisations, that is, people who are able to add real value through meaningful assessments.

“We are already working with many organisations to help them meet their business continuity goals. It’s through regular dialogue with our clients that we know the most important part of our service is the knowledge, skills and approach of our assessors which allows us too continually and reliably offer a high level of service delivery.

“Organisations involved in providing critical services to local authorities, those in the supply chain to major manufacturers and service providers in addition to those needing to meet regulatory or legal obligations will all find themselves in the position of needing robust business continuity planning procedures in place. Certification will offer these organisations an important market differentiator. While choosing LRQA to work with sends a powerful signal to its stakeholders that they mean business,” he concludes.

For further information on the service, organisations can visit www.lrqa.co.uk/security or call on 0800 783 2179.

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LRQA launches new stepped route to management systems

Management systems provider, LRQA has launched PRISM to help organisations expand their range of existing management systems, to better manage their overall business risks.

The ‘Progressive Route into Systems Management’ uniquely enables organisations to progressively build and combine additional certificated management systems with an existing approved system.

It is achieved by implementing the extra systems in a series of steps which leads to formal certification to either the environmental management system standard, ISO 14001 or the occupational health and safety standard, OHSAS 18001, with each step formally recognised by LRQA.

The assessments will typically be combined with existing scheduled visits where possible and practical, so further reducing disruption and paperwork.

Giles Hudson, PRISM Product Manager explains the rationale behind its development.  “PRISM has been developed as many organisations have seen the benefits of a certified ISO 9001 system and want to extend this into other areas over time, such as environmental, health and safety or information security.

“However, for many companies and in particular SME’s, simply finding the resource necessary to implement or integrate new processes and disciplines can often be difficult. This is where PRISM comes into its own as it allows companies to progressively build a combined system, making the best use of resource while gaining vital third-party recognition along the way.”

For further information on the service, organisations can visit www.lrqa.co.uk/prism or call on 0800 783 2179.

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LRQA first to offer accredited services to OHSAS 18001

Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) is one of the first organisations to be recognised by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to provide accredited certification to the health and safety specification, OHSAS 18001.

LRQA is in an ideal position to help companies achieve certification to this standard. The company has been offering certification to OHSAS for over eight years, and over the last 12 months has been closely involved in the pilot programme with UKAS. 

Commenting on the news, Duane Wood, Sales and Marketing Manager of LRQA UK said: “With growing pressure for accountability, ensuring the health, safety and welfare of your people has never had a higher profile. Certification to this international standard from LRQA gives a company’s stakeholders valuable assurance that the company takes its responsibilities seriously.”

Implementing an occupational health and safety management system externally inspected to OHSAS 18001 gives businesses a structured approach to hazard identification and risk management which in turn will contribute to a healthier and safer working environment.

The format of the standard is based on the plan-do-check-act cycle shared by ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 therefore making it suitable for the development of an integrated risk based management system. Clients can therefore opt to have their visits combined with other audits where appropriate, which will be particularly beneficial to those currently receiving multiple visits.

LRQA Training has a range of public training events for those looking to develop and maintain an OHS management system. Course options include a one-day introduction to the standard, through to a five-day IRCA certified Lead Auditor course. All courses are delivered by professional trainers with extensive experience of the health and safety.

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