Public Statements

Appeals Handling Process

TÜV SÜD America has an established process to handle and resolve appeals that arise during the provision of 3rd party validation and verification (V&V) services and non-V&V services, including reconsideration of a decision TÜV SÜD America has made relating to the validation or verification opinion. This process is administered by TÜV SÜD America’s Internal Audit Team (IAT), who is independent from the V&V team and process.  The IAT will select a Project Investigator from one of the lead verifier/senior reviewers on the TÜV SÜD America staff that is independent of the validation or verification to investigate all appeals.

The IAT will provide the name and title of the TÜV SÜD America personnel selected to investigate the appeal and a detailed description of TÜV SÜD America’s appeals process from TÜV SÜD America’s Program Quality Manual to the company or person submitting the appeal.

If you would like to file an appeal related to TÜV SÜD America’s 3rd party V&V services, please contact the Internal Audit Team at [email protected]

Please include in your submission:

• The client’s name and contact information
• The nature of the dispute (i.e. miscalculation, interpretation of a protocol)
• The resolution sought

The IAT will send a formal notice of the outcome of the investigation to the company or person(s) who lodged the V&V related appeal. The IAT shall ensure that decisions on appeals do not result in any discriminatory actions against the appellant.

Complaints Handling Process

TÜV SÜD America has an established process to handle and resolve complaints that arise during the provision of 3rd party validation and verification (V&V) services and non-V&V services, including dissatisfaction related to a V&V activities. This process is administered by the IAT, who is independent from the V&V team and process.  The IAT will select a Project Investigator from one of the lead verifier/senior reviewers on the TÜV SÜD America staff that is independent of the validation or verification to investigate all complaints.

If a complaint is not related to a V&V service, the IAT will select a member of Senior Management that is not involved with the subject of the complaint to handle the investigation.

The IAT will provide the name and title of the TÜV SÜD America personnel selected to investigate the complaint and a detailed description of TÜV SÜD America’s complaints process from TÜV SÜD America’s Program Quality Manual to the company or person submitting the complaint.

If you would like to file a complaint related to TÜV SÜD America’s 3rd party V&V services or submit a non-V/V complaint, please contact the Internal Audit Team at [email protected]

Please include in your submission:

• The client’s name and contact information
• The nature of the dispute (complaint on grounds of X, etc.)
• The resolution sought

Impartiality Statement

TÜV SÜD America realizes that impartiality is critical to the credibility of the work that it performs and the need to ensure that decisions are made based on objective criteria. To safeguard impartiality in its client engagements, including its validation and verification (V&V) activities, TÜV SÜD America has established a procedure to evaluate risks to impartiality and potential conflicts-of-interest (COI). As part of client pre-engagement activities, TÜV SÜD America conducts a thorough review to identify risks to impartiality and potential COIs through the completion of an internal COI test. If risks are identified, TÜV SÜD America assesses the level of risk associated with the potential threat. Risks are classified as low, medium, or high. High-risk engagements are not pursued. Medium risk engagements are further evaluated to determine how TÜV SÜD America is able to effectively mitigate or avoid the risk. Furthermore, TÜV SÜD America requires all V&V team members to attest to impartiality by reviewing each specific project for any potential COIs.

In addition to protecting impartiality, TÜV SÜD America ensures the objectivity of its V&V activities through adherence to engineering principles and the application of auditing and V&V best practices, including reliance upon evidence in the development of opinions regarding GHG statements.

Public Statements and Confidentiality Policy Statement

TÜV SÜD America treats as strictly confidential all information obtained or produced in validation and verification (V&V) assessments. Except as required by witness audits and accreditation assessments by accreditation bodies such as ANAB or oversight authorities of GHG programs, TÜV SÜD America will not disclose to a third party, without a client’s prior written consent, any information that comes into its possession, the possession of its employees, or affiliates in the course of client engagements. Where disclosure is required by a relevant reporting program, TÜV SÜD America will give timely notification to its clients prior to any release of information to the public domain. TÜV SÜD America uses a Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement to safeguard client’s confidential information.

Validation-Verification Process

TÜV SÜD America follows a defined process to conduct validations and verifications.

Use of Opinions/Statements

TÜV SÜD America requires that any opinions or reports of factual findings made public by our clients are communicated in their entirety.

Consulting and Validation-Verification Services

TÜV SÜD America shall not offer or provide both consultancy and validation/verification for the same claim from the same client.

Accredited sectors ANAB and EMA