ISO 14065; (Greenhouse gases - Requirements for GHG validation/determination or verification bodies for use in accreditation or other forms of recognition) was published on April 15, 2007.
JQA has streamlined the systems to comply with the requirements; ISO 14065 since August, 2008. The effect of ISO 14065 and JQA's efforts are summarized below:
The goal of GHG validation/determination or verification activities is that we ensure that all the parties concerned have confidence in the assertion on the GHG emission reductions or removals ("GHG assertion"). To achieve this, greenhouse gas validation/determination or verification bodies enable to complete an objective assessment, required to express their opinions of validation/determination or verification on GHG assertion, on the basis of the evidences. Therefore, in the ISO 14065, five principles as follows are held for GHG validation/verification bodies to ensure credibility;
1. Impartiality, 2. Competence, 3. Decisions based on the facts, 4. Transparency, 5. Confidentiality.
For assessment bodies, in order to provide trusted assessment services, they shall be impartial before anything else. Among all, compensation for assessment services is a major revenue source for assessment bodies, and this is recognized as potential threat to impartiality. We are required to make impartial assessments in a neutral attitude, without being restricted or influenced by any interested parties nor other pressures.
It is our first priority that we receive the confidence from the applicants, market or society that our assessment services are impartial and neutral. In order to achieve the priority, we continue to ensure the impartiality by monitoring the information related to the vested interests, establishing the system countering the threats to the impartiality and through the impartiality committee which is composed of the outside members.
As for advanced competence of auditors, it is required to improve the quality and skills by systematic auditors' educational training system.
JQA clarifies the competencies required to auditors, prepares a system to educate, train and evaluate the auditors in order to maintain and improve their competencies.
Assessment bodies are responsible for "completing objective assessment and providing validation/determination or verification opinion on GHG assertion to the related parties, on the basis of the evidences".
In order to carry out responsibilities as assessment bodies, JQA has streamlined the assessment system which is properly arranged the responsibility and the authority of the assessment team, in order to clarify, maintain and improve the necessary competences for our auditors.
Transparency means that appropriate information is disclosed, and is available from outside. The appropriate information regarding the assessment on all the business organizations which are undergoing an assessment, in addition to the process of the assessment, shall be disclosed to the stakeholders.
In order to secure the transparency of assessment system, JQA is better prepared than ever to respond to complaints from the organization which is undergoing the assessment or their clients, by newly releasing "the procedure for handling complaints and disputes".
The information obtained during the assessment shall be kept confidential.
JQA enhances the data security system and continuously educates the personnel, in order the information obtained during the assessment to be kept confidential.
