NSF Accredited As Greenhouse Gas Verifier

NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR), a North American leader in management systems registrations, today announced it has obtained Greenhouse Gas (GHG) accreditation from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

NSF-ISR is one of seven verification bodies to receive approval in ANSI’s pilot program to accredit GHG verification bodies.(1) The accreditation confirms that the GHG verifications performed by NSF-ISR are conducted to U.S. and international standards. GHG verification provides assurance that GHG emissions and removals are properly accounted for in organizational inventories.

“This accreditation from ANSI demonstrates NSF’s commitment to providing clients with the services they need to stay current with new regulations, while helping to protect the environment,” said Kevan P. Lawlor, President and CEO of NSF International, NSF-ISR’s parent company.

Scientific evidence suggests that the buildup of GHG in the atmosphere is raising the earth’s temperature and changing the earth’s climate. In 2002, President Bush set a goal to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas intensity by 18%. The U.S. is seen to be on track for reaching that goal.(2)

Future policy for reducing GHG emissions in the U.S. may include a national “cap-and-trade” program. According to NSF, under cap-and-trade, companies that voluntarily achieve emission reductions are more competitive in the marketplace because they have a reduced need to acquire GHG emission allowances.

“With a federal cap-and-trade system for GHG potentially in the USA’s future, we project economic incentives to reduce GHG emissions, and emissions trading will become very common,” said John Shideler, NSF-ISR Greenhouse Gas Program Manager. “However, the credits that are being bought and sold in the market need to be verified by an accredited, third-party verifier, such as NSF-ISR, in order for the market to have credibility.”

Successful verification demonstrates that organizations are managing their GHG emissions diligently with energy efficiency in mind and an eye towards future regulatory requirements. A list of organizations whose emissions have been verified by NSF-ISR is maintained on its Web site.

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(1) American National Standards Institute, December 1, 2008, https://www.ansica.org/wwwversion2/ALLdirectoryListing.asp?menuID=200&prgID=20 0&status=4

(2) Environmental Resource Center, April 28, 2008, http://www.ercweb.com/resources/viewtip.aspx?id=7210