Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies the principles and requirements for the monitoring, quantifying, and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from biogas installations.

Purpose

Climate change arising from anthropogenic activities has been identified as one of the greatest challenges facing the world and will continue to affect business development and the lives of citizens for decades to come.

Climate change has impacts on both human and natural systems and could lead to significant impacts on resource availability, economic activity and human wellbeing. In response, international, regional, national and local initiatives are being developed and implemented by the public and private sectors to mitigate the concentration of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere and to facilitate adaptation to climate change.

There is a need for an effective and progressive response to the urgent threat of climate change on the basis of the best available scientific knowledge. ISO produces documents that support the transformation of scientific knowledge into tools that help to address climate change.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction initiatives rely on the monitoring, quantifying, reporting and verification of GHG emissions.

This document, based on the general standard ISO 140641:2018, specifies in detail the principles and requirements to be followed for the monitoring, quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from biogas installations. It includes requirements for determining GHG emission boundaries, for quantifying the GHG emissions of biogas production, and for identifying specific actions or activities intended to improve GHG management. It also includes requirements and guidance on GHG inventory quality management, reporting, internal auditing and responsibilities in verification activities. This document does not address the quantification of mitigation activities or of GHG removals, nor agriculture and forestryrelated activities.

The use of this document:

— enhances the environmental integrity of GHG quantification;

— enhances the credibility, consistency and transparency of the quantification, monitoring, reporting of GHG emissions from biogas installations;

— facilitates the development and implementation of GHG management strategies and plans for biogas installation;

— facilitates the development and implementation of mitigation actions through the reduction of emissions;

— facilitates the tracking of performance and progress in the reduction of GHG emissions;

Applications of this document include: 

— supports enterprise decisions, such as the identification of emission reduction opportunities and the improvement of profitability through reduced energy consumption;

— supports the management of risks and opportunities, such as climaterelated risks, including financial, regulatory, supply chain, product and customer, litigation and reputational risks, as well as business opportunities (e.g. new markets and new business models);

— supports voluntary initiatives, such as participation in voluntary GHG registries or sustainability reporting initiatives, and GHG markets, such as the buying and selling of GHG allowances or credits.