Personnel Certification for Greenhouse Gas Verifiers

Certification generally applies to products, services or individuals.  In the case of individuals, the personnel certification process is generally administered by an organization which is mandated to assess the competencies of professionals to ensure they are appropriate to deliver the work being performed. In many cases, the organizations managing personnel certification programs are themselves accredited by national bodies to perform their work.

Verification generally cannot be executed solely by an individual due to the wide range of competencies required and the need for peer review of the verification activities.  Ensuring the appointment of a competent verification team through competent individual verifiers is a key responsibility of the Verification Body.

A personnel certification program complements accreditation programs and provides an appropriate level of assurance to various stakeholders involved in the growing greenhouse gas market and can also be used to establish a level of competency for individual verifiers.  A potential personnel certification model may require applicants to submit relevant verification qualifications, work experience, completion of training followed by assessment of verification knowledge and skills, through an independent panel or examination.

Related Resources

• CSA Standards - Information on CSA Standards's GHG Verifier Certification program for individuals who wish to demonstrate that they possess the competencies to conduct verifications of greenhouse gas emissions
• Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) Canada - Information on ECO Canada's GHG Verifier Certification program for practitioners who perform verifications for projects and/or inventories
• Greenhouse Gas Management Institute (GHGMI) - Information on the GHGMI's professional programs for the certification of greenhouse gas professionals which are currently under development