Lessons learned from GHG measurement and reporting of technologies with ISO 

14064 part 2pSteven B. Young      

SummarySummary

• Method: ISO 14064 – part  • Our examination of >50 p2 for GHG projects– “SMART” method part of 

Canada early measures

technology projects– Power of the TRACCC 

principlesCanada early measures – Originated from LCA 

methods, CDM, and other efforts

principles– A logic to the standard’s 

process on baselines vs. projectsefforts

– Serves as an excellent standard for offsets programs

projects – A spectrum of project 

types, with challenges– Solutions to problems likeprograms

– Requires additional guidance to incorporate into a program

– Solutions to problems like de minimis

to a p og a

ISO 14064 – part 2 for GHG projectsOriginated from LCA methods, CDM, Canadian early measures and other ff

UNFCCC 1998Clean Development Mechanism

efforts

• TEAM $1 billion in funds to over 300 i i 131 Clean Development Mechanism

ISO 14040:1997Life Cycle AssessmentSMART 2002

Technology GHGs

300 companies in 131 projects• SMART method“System for measurement 

GHG Protocol 2005

PAS 2050:2008Product Carbon 

Footprint

and reporting of technologies”

GHG Protocol 2005Project guide

ISO 14064‐2:2006P j t tifi ti

Footprint

Project quantificationGHG Protocol 2011

Product guideImages: sourced as cited

ISO 14064‐2:2006 project‐level GHG standardISO 14064 2:2006 project level GHG standard

• Requires additional • Serves as an excellentRequires additional guidance to incorporate into a program

Serves as an excellent standard for offsets programs

– Timing

– System rules• “shalls” 

• “shoulds”– Eligibility

– Relevance criteria

Etc

= auditable

– Etc.

ISO 14064‐2:2006P j t tifi tiProject quantification

Testing on hundreds of projects for g p jGHG technologies

(>50)(>50)

b dCarbon credits?

Images: SB Young and NRCan

Power of the TRACCC principles“true, faithful and fair account” (WRI/WBCSD 2004)

• Transparency • Completeness – clarity on what was done – assumptions, data choices, 

potential limitations

– all necessary GHG’s and sources included

• Consistency• Relevance

– inclusion of information that is meaningful and 

y– meaningful and even 

approaches in measurement, reporting and verificationappropriate

• Accuracy– actual emissions are 

and verification•• Conservativeness Conservativeness 

–– overstatement overstatement is avoided is avoided i l ii l i f GHGf GHG i ii ireported

– reduces uncertainty and bias in results

in claims in claims of GHG of GHG emissions emissions reductionsreductionsAdditionality?Additionality?

ISO 14064‐2 5.1 General requirements 1

5.2 Describe project 2 ENSURE/CONFIRM 6 5.4 Determine baseline 4ti

a logical process for baselines 

conservativenessadditionallityequivalence of service (5.5 d) comparability (5.5 e)

5.3 Identify project SSRs 3 7 5.5 Identify baseline SSRs 5controlled/owned, related, affected compare SSRs (5.5 c) controlled/owned, related, affected

CHECK:

vs. projects 

CHECK:

ANSWER "NO"ANSWER "YES" = should not be identified

= relevant = not relevant5.6 Select relevant SSRs 8

A. Is the SSR changed from baseline to project?B. Is the SSR needed to determine the level of activity for

If the answer is "yes" to any of these criteria, the SSR is relevant:

Is the SSR controlled/owned, related or affected by the project?

• Describe project and its activities

• Determine baseline and activities

ANSWER "YES" ANSWER "NO"= relevant = not relevant

5.6 Select SSRs for monitoring 9

Apply "quantification method criteria"

other SSRs?C. Are direct GHG's known to be lower in the project SSR vs. the corresponding baseline SSR? (i.e. conservatively, the proponent may omit the SSR from measurement).

• Check TRACCC principles

• Compare functional equivalence– “apples to apples”

S l l SS ’

Apply quantification method criteria

IF ANSWER IS "NO" IF ANSWERS ARE "YES"= SSR is monitored = SSR is estimated

5.7 Quantifying GHGs #

Monitored regularly Estimated• Select relevant SSR’s– Process by process

– Criteria for relevance

• Monitor or estimate GHGs

Emission factor for the SSR is:

Level of activity for the SSR is:

Relevant principles for quantificationConservativenessCompleteAccurate

Empirically measured, calculated from mass/energy balance, OR evaluated based on experience or professional judgement

Empirically measured, sampled at appropriate intervals

Monitored regularly EstimatedDetermined from the literature, calculated, or evaluated from experience or professional judgement

Monitor or estimate GHGs

Images: Google images 2011

ProjectGHG technology assessmentBaseline

Exclude processes “not relevant” to the DELTA.i i h SO 1 06 2

ProjectBaseline

consistent with ISO 14064‐Part 2

N lNot relevant if:

hno change

Learnings: a spectrum of project typesg p p j yp

General challenges Protocol and program challenges

• Activity data availability• Emissions factors, relevance• Accuracy & uncertainty

3 types of technology projects • Project and Baseline on same site

– One owner controls activities, dataAccuracy & uncertainty• Documentation & transparency

– Easiest  if incremental change from baseline

– E.g., landfill gas, manure, fossil fuel switch

• Baseline is remote to Project S b i i h l i– Substitutive technologies

– Baseline and project are asymmetrical • activity and ownership

– E.g., renewable energy on grid, energy efficiency, biofuels, materials recycling

• Reservoir and sinks projects – Require modeling of baseline emissions– Often complex time‐dependent biological 

systems– E.g., forestry, agriculture no‐till soil carbon

Image: SB Young

de minimisde minimis

• Key challenge • Inherent contradiction– ISO 14064‐2 provides a 

solution …

• Issue of cost and resources 

– To determine negligibility, quantification is necessary

– Therefore why not include?!

for measurement• de minimis

– “Negligible”

• Solution lies in conservativeness principle:– Underestimate the real GHG– Negligible

• Emissions that can be omitted without compromising overall accuracy of the quantification 

1%

Underestimate the real GHG reduction benefit

– To increase requires greater effort/cost – and increases 

/• e.g., 1%

– What about aggregate?GHG reduction/benefit of credits

• Do it if it’s worth it

SummarySummary

• Method: ISO 14064 – part  • Early testing on hundreds p2 for GHG projects– Originated from LCA 

methods, CDM, and other

y gof technology projects

• Results >50 analysesP f th TRACCCmethods, CDM, and other 

efforts– Canadian early measures 

“SMART method

– Power of the TRACCC principles

– A logic to the standard’s b liSMART method

– Serves as an excellent standard for offsets projects

process on baselines vs. projects 

– A spectrum of project t ith h llprojects

– Requires additional guidance to incorporate into a program

types, with challenges– Solutions to problems like 

de minimisto a p og a

FYI – Scholarly and professional f lcommunities for GHG people

Images: sourced as cited

Thank you

THURSDAY  1:30 pmSession 12: Greenhouse Gas Reductions and 

Mitigations Abstract #32: Greenhouse Gas Mitigation from 

Waste Materials Recycling