Emissions Management

Emissions management is playing an increasingly critical role in worldwide efforts to control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to tackle global warming. Verification of your organisation's emission of greenhouse gases will mean that you will be able to demonstrate how you are meeting emission targets, allowing you to make the most of emissions trading schemes, protect your financial position and business reputation.

EU ETS

The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Directive (EU ETS) requires relevant installations to limit their CO₂ emissions to allocated levels in three phases: 2005-2007; 2008-2012 and post 2012. In phase II, the scope has has been expanded to cover additional industry sectors such as gypsum, petrochemical crackers and carbon black. Debate continues on further inclusion for phase III which may cover additional sectors and include other gases.

Phase II requires each eligible installation to produce an annual emissions report. These reports require an independent verification report to be submitted to the relevant Regulator by the end of March each year, verifying emissions for the previous calendar year. Allowances equal to these verified emissions must then be surrendered.

EU ETS Aviation

Recent EU regulations require aircraft operators to monitor and report verified data on CO₂ emissions arising from aviation activities on intra-EU flights and all flights entering and departing from EU airports. This EU Regulation (Directive 2008/101/EC) is an amendment to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

LRQA has the expertise to help you meet your obligations. Our verifiers at the LRQA Aviation Centre are well placed to help you meet your obligations under this legislation. We were part of the consortium working for the European Commission to develop the monitoring, reporting and verification guidelines for aviation’s inclusion within the EU ETS. We have already performed a gap analysis at a major airline to help them to mitigate the risk of any non-compliance before final verification.

We have a dedicated website giving latest news, scheme timelines and service information which is regularly updated. Visit: www.euets-aviation.co.uk

How can LRQA help you?

We undertake accredited EU ETS verifications across the EU including annual verifications, new entrant reserve applications, closures and rationalisations and Phase II gap analysis and support. Our specific focus on phases verification means we can minimise the installation's risk of non compliance with the Scheme. Normally a two-stage verification, our staged approach aims to reduce the disturbance to you.

Year 1

• Stage 1 - Monitoring plan conformance assessment, strategic analysis, risk analysis and verification planning.
• Stage 2 - Process analysis and data verification. Technical review and preparation of internal and external verification reports.

The complexity of the assessment process is dependent on the type of GHG emissions to be verified and the installation’s data management and control systems.

Year 2 onwards

Further annual verification activities will be undertaken in subsequent years to verify those emissions reports.

The mechanism of verification will vary according to the complexity of changes identified at subsequent verifications but will largely follow the same format as the first year.

Why choose LRQA?

For Phase II verification, we have revised and further improved our processes and procedures, which we estimate can save you 25% or more through our significantly reduced total verification times.

Minimised costs to you

• evidence requests, plus use of your internal data audits and verifications means our time is better utilised
• optional self-preparation means our time is reduced
• time spent reporting is reduced
• better client guidance means you are better prepared

Minimised disruption to you

• more remote work conducted, with less required on site
• appropriate but not onerous sampling is completed
• time on ‘de minimis’ or immaterial sources is reduced

For further information:

www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/trading/eu/index.htm
DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The regulations came into effect January 2009. Aircraft operators must submit applications for both their Annual Emissions monitoring plans and Tonne-Kilometre monitoring plans by 31st August 2009.

How can LRQA help you?

LRQA can provide support and guidance to make sure you meet your obligations under the legislation. Our services include:

Pre-verification services: These optional services will give valuable assurance on your ability to meet the requirements of the EU ETS directive before the submissions date for monitoring plans is due. Competent authorities are expected not to provide airlines with an approval of their M&R plans before the end of 2009. This could leave you with very little time to make significant changes to systems before the baseline verifications are due in 2010.

Briefings: We can provide you with the latest information on the Scheme and how it impacts your organisation by sharing our verification knowledge with you. This will help you to develop a Monitoring and Reporting plan that will meet the requirements of the EU directive.

Gap analysis: This verifier delivered activity offers the opportunity to focus on critical or weak areas of your system in order for you to comply with the requirements of the Scheme. We will prepare a report on the accuracy and completeness of your systems and identify any areas of improvement that need to be made before the formal verification visit.

Baseline (TKM) Verifications: During 2010 we can start reviewing your operational monitoring system focussing on the system and the data for Tonne-Kilometre submissions. This will enable an efficient review of data by 2011 and will prevent any surprises or errors coming up in 2011 when conducting the final review for submission of the verified report.

Annual Verifications: Also during 2010 we can start reviewing your operational monitoring system focussing on the system and the data for Annual Emissions monitoring and reporting. This will enable an efficient review of this data by 2011 to prevent any surprises coming up in 2011 when conducting the final review for submission of the verified report.

Your next step

Please contact one of our business advisors on 0800 783 2179 or visit our dedicated Aviation website to complete our enquiry form.