Standards Development

Scope

This International Standard describes principles, methodologies and guidelines on quantification and communication of GHG emissions, emissions reductions and avoided emissions from Electric and Electronic (EE) products, services and systems. This document is applicable to EE products, services and systems as a horizontal standard.

The scope of the document is expanded from IEC TR 62725:2013 and IEC TR 62726:2014 to include “avoided emissions” which means GHG amount not to be emitted and emissions avoided through the use of digitalized systems. Digitalized systems are composed of multiple products and services that incorporate cybersecure digitization based on interoperable data migrations along the lifecycles of materials, parts, products, services and systems, using new technologies such as digital twins, AI, IoT, etc.

This document refers to established methodologies stipulated by international standards such as GHG protocol standards, ISO14064 series and ISO14067 and excludes the scope addressed by ISO TC 207 SC7 Carbon Neutrality under development.

Purpose

The document will provide requirements/guideline for the following 3 main points.

1) methodologies, rules and formulas to assess and quantify GHG emissions, emissions reductions and “avoided emissions”, which means not to be emitted, from Electric and Electronic (EE) products, services and systems in the digital and connected era

2) strategic framework and pathway to low carbon society

3) communication and information disclosure in order to protect the value as results of efforts for quantification avoiding greenwashing.

This document will help EE companies to visualize GHG emission reductions and "avoided emissions" by their products, services and systems and to provide rationale

for the declarations.

Consultants, assessment service providers and other stakeholders may also apply this standard to verify the amount of emission reductions and “avoided emissions” achievable by products, services and systems under evaluation or for those who select third party verification to provide objective information disclosure.

The customers of EE products, services and systems will leverage emission reductions and “avoided emissions” data about EE products, services and systems that will give the market, governments, companies and the public opportunities to improve their green procurement efforts. The availability of will also contribute to capacity building of developing countries seeking both growth and GHG emission reductions.

This document intends to be referred and used, not only by EE companies, but by stakeholders in market. A clear purpose of the document is to contribute SDG 13 Climate Action through these activities.

[Justification]

GHG emission reduction by 2030 is urgently required as a critical action against climate change, through the Paris Agreement COP25 and "Global Gap 2019" published by UNEP. The financial sector is leading initiatives for climate change action such as green finance, TCFD, etc. and companies are increasingly recognizing the need to take action to mitigate climate change and disclose these activities as non-financial information, especially because long-term investors are highly interested in this information.

Providing the above points mentioned in Purpose of the standard, this document will contribute to efforts to expedite SDG 13 Climate Action by the EE industry. The EE industry plays a key role in providing energy efficient products, services and systems that simultaneously achieve GHG emission reductions and meet the other fundamental requirements for the products and system such as function, safety, digitization, EMC, etc.

This document will be the up-to-date rationale to declare GHG emission reductions and avoided emissions by new services and systems composed of multiple EE products, service and systems combined with digital aspects such as digital twins, AI, IoT, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), etc. Such new services and systems have the capability to optimize operation of other products, facilities or systems and consequently reduce GHG emissions in a way that differs from simply improving product energy efficiency. This change has impact on concept of boundary. This document will update points including this which the current 2 TRs have not been addressed and enlarge the scope of them. The current 2 TRs are:

IEC TR 62725:2013 "Analysis of quantification methodologies for greenhouse gas emissions for electrical and electronic products and systems"

IEC TR 62726:2014 "Guidance on quantifying greenhouse gas emission reductions from the baseline for electrical and electronic products and systems"

After this document is published, the TRs will be withdrawn.

This document will address some key points of avoided emission mentioned in a working paper “Estimating and Reporting the Comparative Emissions Impacts of Products” published by World Resource Institute in January 2019.

- setting system boundary

- setting baseline option

- approach and methodologies including timeline, etc.

This document will not overlap with other international standards. “Carbon Neutrality” was proposed by ISO TC207 SC7 based on BSI PAS2060 in Oct. 2019. The main points are demonstrating carbon neutrality, achievement of GHG emissions reduction, offsetting residual GHG emission and declaration in respect of carbon neutrality. The proposal deals with a different issue and does not include carbon offset.

IEC TC111 has already established liaison with ISO TC207 and will exchange information about both new standards development.