Carbon Footprint Verification

Why a carbon footprint should be certified

Companies are increasingly being judged based on their sustainable actions by business partners, investors, analysts, the media, and consumers. A sense of responsibility and dedication to climate protection is expected. Companies can use a carbon footprint inventory to determine their climate-relevant emissions. It then serves as a decision-making basis for developing climate protection targets and charting a strategic route. Is that, however, sufficient? Only when a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) balance has been independently verified it becomes genuinely reliable and can be shared in a meaningful way. 

choose TÜV SÜD as Your provider for carbon footprint verification

The Verification Body for Greenhouse Gases of TÜV SÜD provides verification and validation services since the beginning of the European Union Emission Trading System in 2005. With a market share of over 15% of all verified stationary plants in almost every industry, TÜV SÜD is the largest Verification Body in Germany. We are accredited according to ISO 14065 for the verification and validation of quantification, monitoring and reporting of Greenhouse Gases, which includes Corporate Carbon Footprints and Emission Reduction projects. The verification process follows the ISO 14064-3 and is subject to high requirements, which ensures a professional and reliable revision of your GHG reporting. 

You benefit from the following advantages with TÜV SÜD:

• Increased ecologic integrity of your Carbon Footprint by complying with recognized standards.
• Improved credibility, consistency und transparency of the quantification, monitoring and reporting of your GHG.
• Creating a reliable basis for developing and improving monitoring systems for tracking GHG-emissions.
• Enabling the development and implementation of emission reduction and decarbonization strategies.

Our Services

TÜV SÜD offers verification services for the following GHG-related reporting:

• Company Level Reporting: Corporate Carbon Footprints according to ISO 14064-1, if required in combination with GHG Protocol
• Product Level Reporting: Product Carbon Footprints according to ISO 14067, if required in combination with ISO 14040/44 and/or GHG Protocol
• Emissions Reduction Projects according to ISO 14064-2, if required in combination with specific GHG program requirements such as EU Innovation Fund or Upstream Emission Reduction regulation
• Carbon Boarder Adjustment Mechanism: preliminary verifications as preparation for the upcoming legislation

The goal of the verification is, to create reliability and transparency, identify emission drivers and push innovation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and raw material expenditures.

Corporate Carbon Footprint Verification (CCF)

For the consistent preparation of a CCF, the use of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG) and the ISO 14064-1 have been established. The TÜV SÜD experts check the corporate carbon footprint of a company regarding the compliance with those standards. In terms of content, ISO 14064-1 is strongly based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), which was published in 1998 by the WSBCSD and the WRI to standardise so-called carbon accounting and now describes a variety of calculation approaches for determining emissions.

Product Carbon Footprint Verification (PCF)

In a PCF, the main greenhouse gas emissions along the entire product life cycle are assessed and quantified, starting with resource extraction and raw material procurement, through the phases of production and use, to the end-of-life of the product. The calculation is verified based on the ISO 14067.

ISO 14067 defines requirements and guidelines for quantifying the carbon footprint of products and builds on the ISO 14040/44 for Life Cycle Assessment.