The 2022 theme of World Accreditation Day (WAD) was “Accreditation: Sustainability in Economic Growth and the Environment.”
What Is World Accreditation Day?
Every June 9, ANAB joins accreditation organizations worldwide to recognize World Accreditation Day. Established by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperative (ILAC), WAD highlights the important role of accreditation around the globe.
ANAB Accreditation Programs Supporting Sustainability
As the world grapples with the consequences of climate change, resource depletion, and other sustainability-related issues, urgent action is necessary to transition to a low-carbon, more sustainable, resource-efficient, and circular economy.
Accreditation provides valuable oversight to the processes and schemes by which organizations ensure and demonstrate sustainability and environmental responsibility in their business processes. Some ANAB accreditation programs that enable companies to drive toward a more sustainable future include:
- Accreditation for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Validation/Verification Bodies (VVB): In accordance with ISO 14065, ANAB accredits organizations validating and verifying greenhouse gas reductions and removals. The scope of this program is expanding to include new areas of focus, including clean fuels, carbon footprint verification, and potentially Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure and sustainable finance.
- Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Accreditation: The EPEAT program provides a system to assist purchasers in selecting high-performance sustainable electronics. Through this program, conformity assessment bodies (CABs) can verify the environmental performance claims of electronics that are conveyed to the end consumer. CABs accredited by ANAB carry an elevated level of trust when verifying environmental performance claims of products like computers, mobile phones, and televisions.
- Accreditation for Environmental Technology Verification: Environmental technology applies engineering principles to counteract the negative effects human activities have waged on the environment. Many types of environmental technology are well-known, but, with the looming threats of climate change, newer technologies are constantly being developed. Third-party inspection bodies and verification bodies conduct verification on new environmental technologies by confirming that performance claims are complete, fair, and based on reliable test results. For ANAB accreditation, these inspection and verification bodies must meet the requirements of ISO/IEC 17020 and ISO 14034.
- Accreditation for ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems Certification Bodies: ISO 14001 is the benchmark for environmental management system requirements trusted around the world. Organizations that implement ISO 14001 and seek certification to its requirements see an enhanced environmental performance, customer satisfaction, and competitive advantage, among other benefits. ANAB accredits the organizations that issue certifications to ISO 14001.
- Eco-labeling and Environmental Product Declarations Accreditation: Eco-labels convey valuable information to consumers who want to make green decisions. ANAB-accredited ecolabeling certification bodies and conformity assessment bodies can be trusted in verifying the environmental declarations on products.
Accreditation Continues to Pave the Way for a Sustainable Future
On March 21, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed a rule that will require companies to disclose climate-related risks that are reasonably likely to have a material impact on their business. This required information would include disclosure of a registrant’s greenhouse gas emissions. The goal here is to help investors make informed decisions by providing clear data on climate risks. The proposed rule seeks input on the methods for third-party audits and the standards used in conducting these audits.
ANAB’s Accreditation Program for Greenhouse Gas Validation/Verification Bodies has an existing model to support the qualifications of these auditors and is working to expand to accredit validation and verification of these new types of environmental information.
Learn more about ANAB’s activities related to climate change in the below video produced for the 2021 ISO General Assembly Meeting:
