New Zealand has the opportunity to participate in or observe on new work of the International Organization of Standardization (ISO), related to the environment, as outlined in the articles below.

• Water footprinting – new work on international Standard
• Carbon footprinting of organisations – new work on Technical Report
• Quantitative environmental information – new work on Technical Specification
• Sustainability criteria for bioenergy – new Project Committee
• Other ISO work underway

Water footprinting – work on international Standard approved

New work on an international Standard for water footprinting has been approved, within ISO Technical Committee (TC) 207/Subcommittee (SC) 5 'Life cycle assessment'.

The New Work Item Proposal (NWIP) circulated for ballot during March to June 2009 has now been acceptedby ISO/TC 207 SC 5 as a preliminary work item (PWI). PWI stage means that while member countries agreed the water footprint work should go ahead, the majority felt that further input on the scope is required before it can be approved as suitable for working draft stage.

ISO/TC 207 SC 5 has established a new Working Group 8 (WG 8), which will develop this international Standard. Its first task will be to redraft the current NWIP. SC 5 will later resend the updated NWIP ballot to members for registration as a working draft. The nominations of experts to WG 8 are due before September 25 2009. It is planned to take three years to develop the Standard.

ISO/TC 207 SC 5 has appointed Switzerland as WG 8 convenor and secretariat. A key challenge for WG 8 will be to develop an impact assessment for water that can be applied broadly and fairly enough to all nations.

Carbon footprinting of organisations – new work on Technical Report

New work to develop a Technical Report for ISO 14064-1 Carbon footprinting of organizations has been approved, within ISO/TC 207/SC 7 'Greenhouse gas management and related activities'.

ISO/TC 207 SC 7 has established a new Working Group 3 (WG 3) to develop a technical report on greenhouse gases (GHG), GHG – Quantification and reporting of GHG emissions of organizations – guidance for the application of ISO 14064 – 1 (Carbon footprint of organizations).

ISO/TC 207 SC 7 has appointed France as WG 3 convenor and secretariat.

The ISO Technical Report will provide a common framework describing a consistent method and associated tools to support the quantification and reporting of direct, energy indirect, and other indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of an organisation. The nominations of experts to WG 3 are due before 28 August 2009.

Quantitative environmental information – new work on Technical Specification

New work on an ISO Technical Specification (TS) for Environmental management – Quantitative environmental information – Guidelines and examples has been approved, assigned to ISO/TC 207/SC 4 'Environmental performance evaluation'.

ISO/TC 207/SC 4 has established Working Group 3 (WG 3) to develop an ISO TS that gives guidance to an organisation on general principles, policy, strategy, and activities for the preparation of information for communicating quantitative environmental performance about organisations, activities, products, and services.

The TS is intended as a support when applying Standards and reports of the ISO 14000-series where quantitative information, facts, and data need to be acquired and prepared as a basis for environmental measures. It will address common difficulties with handling quantitative information, and provide guidance on how to establish transparency. The time frame for the nomination of experts to WG 3 is expected to be declared soon.

Sustainability criteria for bioenergy – new Project Committee

A new ISO Project Committee (PC) 'Sustainability criteria for bioenergy' was recommended at a meeting of bioenergy experts on 8 – 9 June 2009 in Berlin. The ISO/PC is awaiting approval from the ISO/Technical Management Board (TMB). The scope of this ISO/PC will be standardisation in the field of sustainability criteria for production, supply chain, and application of bioenergy. This includes terminology and aspects related to the sustainability (for example, environmental, social, and economic) of bioenergy.

The first meeting of the new ISO/PC will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 21 – 23 October 2009.

Other ISO work underway

Other ISO work underway, related to the environment includes the following.

• ISO/TC 207/SC 7 has advanced its work on the development of ISO 14066 Greenhouse gases – Competence requirements for conducting greenhouse gas validation and verification engagements with guidance for evaluation. This work has now reached committee draft stage, and its expected publication date has been brought forward to February 2011 (previously October 2011).
• ISO/TC 207/SC 7 is making good progress on the development of ISO 14067 Carbon footprint of products. A second working draft will be considered in October 2009, and the working group will deliver the committee draft by 5 November 2009. The expected publication date is end 2011.
• ISO/TC 207/SC 7 'Greenhouse gas management' is addressing technical corrections to ISO 14064 parts 1, 2 and 3, through technical corrigenda.
• ISO/TC 207/SC 5 'Life Cycle Assessment' is considering revision of its suite of Life Cycle Standards: ISO 14040, ISO 14044, ISO/TR 14047 and ISO/TR 14049.
• The draft international Standard (DIS), ISO/DIS 14005 Environmental management systems – Guidelines for the phased implementation of an environmental management system, including the use of environmental performance evaluation, is likely to be re-released for a second DIS period. A request has been issued to ISO/TC 207/SC 1 members and votes are due by 3 August 2009. The purpose of this Standard is to encourage and guide organisations, especially small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), through a phased approach that can grow their environmental management system to meet the requirements of the Environmental management systems – Requirements with guidance for use, ISO 14001:2004.
• ISO/TC 207/SC 3 'Environmental labelling' is currently amending, and considering revising Environmental labels and declarations – Self-declared environmental claims (Type II environmental labelling), ISO 14021:1999.

For more information please contact Angela Henderson, Business Development Manager: angela.henderson@standards.co.nz or call 04 498 3981.

→ Buy AS/NZS ISO 14001:2004 Environmental management systems – Requirements with guidance for use.

→ Buy AS/NZS ISO 14021:2000 Environmental labels and declarations – Self-declared environmental claims (Type II environmental labelling).

→ Buy AS/NZS ISO 14040:1998 Environmental management – Life cycle assessment - Principles and framework.

→ Buy ISO 14044:2006 Environmental management – Life cycle assessment -- Requirements and guidelines.

→ Buy ISO/TR 14047:2003 Environmental management – Life cycle impact assessment – Examples of application of ISO 14042.

→ Buy ISO/TR 14049:2000 Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Examples of application of ISO 14041 to goal and scope definition and inventory analysis.

→ Buy ISO 14064-1:2006 Greenhouse gases – Part 1: Specification with guidance at the organization level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals.

→ Buy ISO 14064-2:2006 Greenhouse gases – Part 2: Specification with guidance at the project level for quantification, monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emission reductions or removal enhancements.

→ Buy ISO 14064-3:2006 Greenhouse gases – Part 3: Specification with guidance for the validation and verification of greenhouse gas assertions.