Overview
ISO 16745-2:2017, published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), addresses verification of carbon metrics for existing buildings during the use stage. This standard complements ISO 16745-1 by establishing clear requirements and procedures for the independent verification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission calculations related to a building's operational phase.
Given that buildings contribute about one-third of global GHG emissions, measuring and reporting carbon footprints accurately is essential for sustainable building management and climate change mitigation. ISO 16745-2 enables stakeholders to validate carbon metric claims, ensuring transparency, accuracy, and comparability in emissions reporting.
Key Topics
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Scope and Purpose: ISO 16745-2 focuses on verifying carbon metrics calculated according to ISO 16745-1 for existing buildings during their operational stage. Prior to verification, carbon metrics are considered claims; post-verification, they become certified declarations.
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Verification Procedure: The standard outlines a structured verification process involving:
- Independent review of data sources, coverage, accuracy, and adherence to ISO 16745-1 principles.
- Validation of the carbon metric declaration against original calculation data.
- Documentation and transparent reporting of verification findings while maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information.
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Competence and Independence of Verifiers: Verifiers must be impartial third parties with no conflicts of interest and possess sector-relevant expertise including:
- Energy use in buildings
- Applicable carbon metric methodologies
- Knowledge of regulatory frameworks and related standards
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Data Confidentiality: The standard enforces confidentiality rules ensuring proprietary or sensitive business data is protected during the verification process.
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Definitions and Terminology: The document clarifies core terms such as "carbon metric," defined as the sum of annual GHG emissions and removals expressed in CO₂ equivalents for the building's use stage.
Applications
ISO 16745-2 is an essential tool for:
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Facility Managers and Building Owners: To substantiate the carbon performance of their buildings ensuring validated and credible carbon metrics for operational energy use.
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Environmental Consultants and Auditors: Providing guidance for independent verification audits of existing buildings’ GHG emissions.
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Governmental and Regulatory Bodies: Facilitating verified reporting to support policy decisions, sustainability targets, and carbon trading frameworks.
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Sustainability Certification Programs: Integrating verified carbon metric declarations for benchmarking and environmental labeling.
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Real Estate and Investment Sectors: Enabling transparent communication of verified carbon metrics, supporting greener investment strategies.
Related Standards
ISO 16745-2 closely interacts with several other key international standards:
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ISO 16745-1:2017 - Calculation, reporting, and communication of the carbon metric for buildings during the use stage.
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ISO 14064-1 - Specification and guidance on quantification and reporting of GHG emissions and removals at the organizational level.
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ISO 6707-1 - Vocabulary related to buildings and civil engineering works.
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ISO 14021, 14024, 14025 - Environmental labels and declarations frameworks relevant for self-claims and environmental product declarations.
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ISO 21929-1 and ISO 21931-1 - Frameworks for sustainability indicators and assessment of the environmental performance of construction works.
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ISO 16343 and ISO 16346 - Methods for expressing and assessing energy performance of buildings.
Implementing ISO 16745-2 ensures consistent verification methodologies for carbon metrics, fostering reliable data crucial for sustainable building management and advancing global efforts to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment.
Keywords: ISO 16745-2, carbon metric verification, greenhouse gas emissions, building sustainability, operational energy use, carbon footprint, existing buildings, environmental performance, independent verification, GHG reporting, sustainability in buildings.