Objective
The objective of the Emissions Inventories, Offsets, Reduction Credits and TAGs Standard

is to establish an integrated, open and transparent framework for quantifying and documenting emission inventories, offsets, reduction credits, TAGs (tradeable emission reduction certificates and sequestration certificates) and other market mechanisms for recognizing emissions and emission reductions for businesses, organizations, projects and individuals.

Need for the Standard
Current standards for quantifying and documenting emission inventories, offsets and reduction credits address many pieces of the emissions quantification puzzle but have a number of limitations including:  multiple standards to choose from for the same application, lack of integration among the standards, limited coverage of emission types, limited geographic scope, limited openness and transparency and limited practicality for many potential users. As a result of these limitations, it is difficult for potential users to know how to engage in the emissions marketplace effectively, how to use the available standards and how to be recognized and rewarded for emissions reduction activities. It is also difficult for consumers to keep track of what emission reduction and offset claims from different sources really mean.

Leonardo Academy’s Emissions Inventories, Offsets, Reduction Credits and TAGs Standard will:

• Provide a means for inventorying the emissions caused by organizations, families and individuals, including products, services, events, travel, and other emissions sources
• Track emission reductions resulting from pollution sequestration, renewable energy, energy efficiency projects and other emission reduction measures
• Document the emission offsets generated and procured by organizations, families and individuals
• Encompass a multi-pollutant approach that covers and awards credit for reducing the full range of emission types
• Apply to a broad range of geographic regions
• Be practical for both end users and the marketplace and an effective driver for environmental improvement

The framework of the Emissions Standard will meet the following needs:

• Building Owners:  Provide a means to calculate the emission reduction credits resulting from energy efficiency measures and recognize and reward the environmental benefits of these and similar actions
• Automobile Buyers:  Provide a means to calculate the emission reductions of high efficiency vehicles and reward the purchaser for the emission reductions delivered over the life of the vehicle
• Forest Owners:  Provide a framework for documenting annual credits for carbon sequestration in existing well-managed forests
• Organizations:  Provide a credible framework for inventorying the emissions created by an organization’s events, products, or business actions and a credible means of offsetting these emissions

• Building owners and managers
• Manufacturers
• Transportation companies
• Retail stores and chains
• Energy utilities
• Energy efficiency product and service providers
• Renewable energy product and service providersar
• Industrial process improvement product and service providers
• Emission reduction product and service providers
• Environmental organizations
• Government agencies
• Other interested parties

• ANSI Standard Development Process Announced (PINS):  June 23, 2006
• Standards Committee Application Recruitment:  Currently recruiting

Announcements

Leonardo Academy is now accepting applications for participation on the Standards Committee for the Emissions Inventories, Reduction Credits and Offsets Standard. Any individual or representative of an organization that 1) creates, reduces or sequesters, offsets or inventories emissions or creates emissions offsets or reduction credits, 2) requires product or service providers to document emission inventories, reduction achievements or offset achievement, 3) is focused on preserving and improving the environment or 4) is a government representative; academic; representative of a consumer group, labor group or other interested party and is interested in working to develop a national standard for quantifying and documenting environmental emission inventories, reduction credits and offsets is encouraged to apply.

LEO-5000 Standards Committee Application:  (WORD) (PDF) 

Applications should be submitted by 5:00 pm (CST) on Friday, January 15, 2010.  Committee members will be selected by Friday, January 29, 2010. Questions about this application process should be directed to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 608-289-0255.

Documents

• Leonardo Academy Draft Standard for Trial Use:  Emissions Inventories, Offsets, Reduction Credits and TAGs (a link to the draft document will be posted soon)
• Leonardo Academy's ANSI Standards Development Constitution
• ANSI Essential Requirements