Iso 14065 2020

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 14065
Third edition
2020-12
General principles and requirements

for bodies validating and verifying
environmental information
Principes généraux et exigences pour les organismes de validation et
de vérification de l’information environnementale
Reference number
ISO 14065:2020(E)
© ISO 2020
ISO 14065:2020(E)

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ii © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Contents Page
Foreword...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................v
Introduction................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. vi
1 Scope.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
2 Normative references....................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
3 Terms and definitions...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
3.1 Terms related to environmental information................................................................................................................ 2
3.2 Terms related to personnel and organization............................................................................................................... 3
3.3 Terms related to validation and verification.................................................................................................................. 4
4 Principles...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
4.1 General............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 9
4.2 Principles for the validation/verification process.................................................................................................... 9
4.3 Principles for validation/verification bodies................................................................................................................. 9
4.4 Conservativeness................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
4.5 Professional scepticism.................................................................................................................................................................... 9
5 General requirements...................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
5.1 Legal entity.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
5.2 Responsibility for validation/verification statements.......................................................................................... 9
5.3 Management of impartiality......................................................................................................................................................... 9
5.4 Liability........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 10
6 Structural requirements............................................................................................................................................................................10
6.1 Organizational structure and top management....................................................................................................... 10
6.2 Operational control........................................................................................................................................................................... 10
7 Resource requirements...............................................................................................................................................................................10
7.1 General......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
7.2 Personnel................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
7.3 Management process for the competence of personnel................................................................................... 10
7.4 Outsourcing............................................................................................................................................................................................. 11
8 Validation/verification programme...............................................................................................................................................11
9 Process requirements...................................................................................................................................................................................12
9.1 General......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
9.2 Pre-engagement................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
9.3 Engagement............................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
9.4 Planning...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
9.5 Validation/verification execution......................................................................................................................................... 13
9.6 Review.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
9.7 Decision and issue of the validation/verification statement........................................................................ 14
9.7.1 Decision................................................................................................................................................................................. 14
9.7.2 Issue of the validation/verification statement.................................................................................... 15
9.8 Facts discovered after the issue of the validation/verification statement........................................ 16
9.9 Handling of appeals.......................................................................................................................................................................... 16
9.10 Handling of complaints.................................................................................................................................................................. 16
9.11 Records........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 16
10 Information requirements.......................................................................................................................................................................16
10.1 Publicly available information................................................................................................................................................. 16
10.2 Other information to be available......................................................................................................................................... 16
10.3 Reference to validation/verification and use of marks...................................................................................... 17
10.4 Confidentiality....................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
11 Management system requirements................................................................................................................................................17
11.1 General......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
11.2 Management review......................................................................................................................................................................... 17
© ISO 2020 – All rights reserved iii

ISO 14065:2020(E)

11.3 Internal audits....................................................................................................................................................................................... 17

11.4 Corrective action................................................................................................................................................................................. 17
11.5 Actions to address risks and opportunities................................................................................................................. 17
11.6 Documented information............................................................................................................................................................. 17
Annex A (informative) Types of opinions......................................................................................................................................................18
Annex B (informative) Reference to validated/verified statements and use of marks.................................19
Annex C (informative) Examples of reports of factual findings..............................................................................................21
Annex D (normative) Additional requirements applicable to green bond validation,
verification and AUP.......................................................................................................................................................................................26
Annex E (normative) Additional requirements applicable to greenhouse gas validation,
verification and AUP.......................................................................................................................................................................................27
Annex F (normative) Additional requirements applicable to validation, verification and
AUP associated with reporting investments and financing activities related to
climate change......................................................................................................................................................................................................30
Bibliography.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 31
iv © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/
iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 207, Environmental management,
Subcommittee SC 7, Greenhouse gas management and related activities, in collaboration with the
European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee CEN/SS S26, Environmental
management, in accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN (Vienna
Agreement).
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO 14065:2013), which has been technically
revised. The main changes compared with the previous edition are as follows:
— the Scope has been expanded to include bodies performing validation, verification and agreed upon
procedures in all areas of environmental information (not only greenhouse gas);
— it has been aligned with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17029;
— Annex D has been added for additional requirements applicable to green bonds;
— Annex E has been added for additional requirements applicable to greenhouse gases;
— Annex F has been added for additional requirements applicable to non-financial disclosure.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
© ISO 2020 – All rights reserved v

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Introduction
Environmental information is increasingly being used for decision-making by individuals and
organizations. Environmental information can be seen in various forms, including but not limited to:
— greenhouse gas statements;
— environmental footprints (e.g. carbon and water);
— environmental performance;
— environmental labelling claims, including environmental product declarations;
— environmental information as part of sustainability reporting;
— calculations associated with the valuation of environmental resources;
— environmental information related to “green bonds”, “climate finance” and other financial
instruments.
Users of environmental information want to know whether it is accurate and reliable. They seek
assurance on statements of historical information, and validation that forecasted information is based
on reasonable assumptions and methods. This document identifies principles and defines requirements
for validation and verification bodies that meet these needs.
Requirements for validation/verification bodies in this document include:
— general requirements (see Clause 5, including legal, impartiality, liability, and contractual matters);
— structural requirements (see Clause 6, including organizational structure and operational control);
— resource requirements (see Clause 7, including personnel and competency management);
— programme requirements (see Clause 8);
— process requirements (see Clause 9, including process steps such as pre-engagement, engagement,
execution, review, and issuance of opinions and records management);
— information requirements (see Clause 10, including communication and confidentiality);
— management systems requirements (see Clause 11, including the internal management system of
the body, internal audits, management review and corrective actions).
This document is a sector application of ISO/IEC 17029:2019. It references the requirements of
ISO/IEC 17029 and also includes specific requirements related to bodies that validate or verify
environmental information.
Bodies operating in accordance with this document can be first-party, second-party or third-party
bodies. Bodies can provide validation only, verification only, or provide both validation and verification,
and perform agreed-upon procedures (AUP).
This document provides programme owners, regulators and accreditation bodies with a basis for
assessing and recognizing the competence of validation and verification bodies. It can also be used
in other ways, such as in peer assessment within groups of validation/verification bodies or between
such groups.
vi © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 14065:2020(E)
General principles and requirements for bodies validating

and verifying environmental information
1 Scope
This document specifies principles and requirements for bodies performing validation and verification
of environmental information statements.
Any programme requirements related to bodies are additional to the requirements of this document.
This document is a sector application of ISO/IEC 17029:2019, which contains general principles
and requirements for the competence, consistent operation and impartiality of bodies performing
validation/verification as conformity assessment activities.
This document includes sector-specific requirements in addition to the requirements of
ISO/IEC 17029:2019.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 14030-4,1)Environmental performance evaluation — Green debt instruments — Part 4: Verification
programme requirements
ISO 14064-3, Greenhouse gases — Part 3: Specification with guidance for the verification and validation of
greenhouse gas statements
ISO 14066, Greenhouse gases — Competence requirements for greenhouse gas validation teams and
verification teams
ISO 14097,2)Framework including principles and requirements for assessing and reporting investments and
financing activities related to climate change
ISO/IEC 17000, Conformity assessment — Vocabulary and general principles
ISO/IEC 17029:2019, Conformity assessment — General principles and requirements for validation and
verification bodies
3 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC 17000, ISO/IEC 17029:2019
and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://w ww.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http://w ww.electropedia.org/
1) Under preparation. Stage at the time of publication: ISO/DIS 14030-4:2020.

2) Under preparation. Stage at the time of publication: ISO/DIS 14097:2020.
© ISO 2020 – All rights reserved 1

ISO 14065:2020(E)

3.1 Terms related to environmental information

3.1.1
environment
surroundings in which an organization (3.2.2) operates, including air, water, land, natural resources,
flora, fauna, humans and their interrelationships
Note 1 to entry: Surroundings can extend from within an organization to the local, regional and global system.
Note 2 to entry: Surroundings can be described in terms of biodiversity, ecosystems, climate or other
characteristics.
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.2.1]

3.1.2
environmental aspect
element of an organization’s (3.2.2) activities or products or services that interacts or can interact with
the environment (3.1.1)
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.2.2, modified — The notes to entry have been deleted.]
3.1.3
environmental performance
measurable results related to the management of environmental aspects (3.1.2)
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.4.11, modified — “measurable results” have replaced the “performance”.]
3.1.4
environmental information
subject matter of a qualitative or quantitative nature that is related to environmental conditions or
environmental performance (3.1.3)
Note 1 to entry: Environmental information can include statements and claims regarding greenhouse gas
emissions, removals, emission reductions or removal enhancements of an organization (3.2.2), project (e.g. see
ISO 14064-1 and ISO 14064-2), environmental footprints (e.g. see ISO 14067 for carbon footprints of a product,
ISO 14046 for water footprints and ISO 14044 for life cycle assessment information) or environmental reports
(e.g. see ISO 14016).
Note 2 to entry: ISO 14033 defines and specifies terms and procedures to establish reviewable and comparable
quantitative environmental information.
3.1.5
environmental information statement
declaration of environmental information (3.1.4)
Note 1 to entry: The environmental information statement can represent a point in time or can cover a period
of time.
Note 2 to entry: The environmental information statement provided by the responsible party (3.2.3) should be
clearly identifiable and capable of consistent evaluation or measurement against suitable criteria (3.3.20) by a
verifier (3.3.5) or validator (3.3.6).
Note 3 to entry: The environmental information statement can be provided in: a report; a declaration; an
economic, financial or monetary valuation; an environmental product declaration; a life cycle assessment report;
a climate change vulnerability or adaptation evaluation; a project plan; a label or logo.
Note 4 to entry: The term “environmental information statement” corresponds to the term “claim” used in
ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 3.1.
2 © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

ISO 14065:2020(E)

3.1.6
environmental information programme
rules and procedures for providing an environmental information statement (3.1.5)
Note 1 to entry: Environmental information programmes can be carried out at international, regional, national
or sub-national levels.
Note 2 to entry: A programme can also be called a scheme.
Note 3 to entry: Greenhouse gas emissions and reductions, greenhouse gas inventories, carbon and water
footprints, and the environmental information (3.1.4) in sustainability reports are examples of subjects that may
be verified in accordance with an environmental information programme.
Note 4 to entry: An environmental information programme may include requirements for validation (3.3.16) or
verification (3.3.15).
3.2 Terms related to personnel and organization

3.2.1
client
organization (3.2.2) or person requesting validation (3.3.16) or verification (3.3.15)
Note 1 to entry: The client could be the responsible party (3.2.3), programme owner (3.3.3), intended user (3.2.4)
or other interested party.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 3.13, modified — Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.2.2
organization
person or group of people that has its own functions with responsibilities, authorities and relationships
to achieve its objectives
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.1.4, modified — Note 1 to entry has been deleted.]
3.2.3
responsible party
person or persons responsible for the provision of the environmental information statement (3.1.5) and
the supporting information
Note 1 to entry: The responsible party can be either individuals or authorized representatives of an organization
(3.2.2) or project and can be the party who engages the verifier (3.3.5) or validator (3.3.6).
Note 2 to entry: The responsible party may be the client (3.2.1).
[SOURCE: ISO 14064-3:2019, 3.2.3, modified — The references to greenhouse gas and product have
been deleted. Note 2 to entry has been added.]
3.2.4
intended user
individual or organization (3.2.2) identified by those reporting environmental information (3.1.4) as
being the one who relies on that environmental information to make decisions
Note 1 to entry: The intended user could be the client (3.2.1), the responsible party (3.2.3), programme owners
(3.3.3), regulators, the financial community, the general public or other interested parties, such as local
communities, governmental or non-governmental organizations.
[SOURCE: ISO 14064-3:2019, 3.2.4, modified — The references to greenhouse gas have been deleted.
Note 1 to entry has been revised.]

ISO 14065:2020(E)

3.2.5
technical expert
person who provides specific knowledge or expertise to the validation/verification team (3.3.7)
Note 1 to entry: Specific knowledge or expertise is that which relates to the organization (3.2.2), the process or
activity associated with the subject to be verified or validated, finance, local regulations, language or culture.
Note 2 to entry: A technical expert does not act as a verifier (3.3.5) or validator (3.3.6) in the validation/
verification team.
[SOURCE: ISO 19011:2018, 3.16, modified — “validation/verification team” has replaced “audit team” in
the definition and Note 2 to entry. Note 1 to entry has been revised.]
3.2.6
competence
ability to apply knowledge and skills to achieve intended results
[SOURCE: ISO 14066:2011, 3.1.4, modified — The notes to entry have been deleted.]
3.2.7
nonconformity
non-fulfilment of a requirement
Note 1 to entry: Some programmes can require that nonconformities raised against legal requirements related
to the programme are raised as noncompliances.
[SOURCE: ISO 14064-3:2019, 3.6.19, modified — Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.3 Terms related to validation and verification

3.3.1
validation programme
rules, procedures and management for carrying out validation (3.3.16) activities in a specific sector
or field
Note 1 to entry: Validation programmes may be operated at international, regional, national, sub-national,
sector-specific or organizational levels.
Note 2 to entry: A programme can also be called a “scheme”.
Note 3 to entry: A set of standards able to cover all the requirements of this document can serve as a programme.
Note 4 to entry: A validation programme can be as simple as the letter of engagement (3.3.13) between the
validation body (3.3.26) and its client (3.2.1), or refer to a formal programme document which has a set of rules
that can have varying degrees of specification and complexity.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 3.8, modified — In the definition, “or field” has been added. In Note 1 to
entry, “organizational” has been added. Note 4 to entry has been added.]
3.3.2
verification programme
rules, procedures and management for carrying out verification (3.3.15) activities in a specific sector
or field
Note 1 to entry: Verification programmes may be operated at international, regional, national, sub-national,
sector-specific or organizational levels.
Note 2 to entry: A programme can also be called a “scheme”.
Note 3 to entry: A set of standards able to cover all the requirements of this document can serve as a programme.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Note 4 to entry: A verification programme can be as simple as the letter of engagement (3.3.13) between the
verification body (3.3.27) and its client (3.2.1), or refer to a formal programme document which has a set of rules
that can have varying degrees of specification and complexity.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 3.9, modified — “or field” has been added to the definition. Note 4 to
entry has been added.]
3.3.3
programme owner
person or organization (3.2.2) responsible for developing and maintaining an environmental information
programme (3.1.6), a validation programme (3.3.1) or a verification programme (3.3.2)
Note 1 to entry: The programme owner can be the body itself, a governmental authority, a trade association, a
group of validation/verification bodies, an external programme owner or others.
Note 2 to entry: The programme owner can be the scheme owner.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 3.10, modified — “environmental information programme” has replaced
“specific” added. Note 2 to entry has been added.]
3.3.4
team leader
person who manages the validation/verification team (3.3.7)
[SOURCE: ISO 14066:2011, 3.1.2]
3.3.5
verifier
competent and impartial person with responsibility for performing and reporting on a verification
(3.3.15)
[SOURCE: ISO 14064-3:2019, 3.2.6]
3.3.6
validator
competent and impartial person with responsibility for performing and reporting on a validation
(3.3.16)
[SOURCE: ISO 14064-3:2019, 3.2.7]
3.3.7
validation/verification team
one or more persons conducting validation (3.3.16)/verification (3.3.15) activities
Note 1 to entry: One person of the validation/verification team is appointed as the team leader.
Note 2 to entry: The validation/verification team may be accompanied by validators-in-training or verifiers-in-

training.
3.3.8
independent reviewer
competent person, who is not a member of the validation/verification team (3.3.7), who reviews the
verification (3.3.15) or validation (3.3.16) activities and conclusions
[SOURCE: ISO 14064-3:2019, 3.2.9]

ISO 14065:2020(E)

3.3.9
impartiality
presence of objectivity
Note 1 to entry: Objectivity means that conflicts of interest do not exist, or are resolved so as not to adversely
influence the activities of the body.
Note 2 to entry: Other terms that are useful in conveying the element of impartiality include “independence”,
“freedom from conflicts of interest”, “freedom from bias”, “lack of prejudice”, “neutrality”, “fairness”, “open-
mindedness”, “even-handedness”, “detachment” “balance”.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015, 3.2, modified — “certification” has been deleted before “body” in
Note 1 to entry.]
3.3.10
consultancy
provision of specific expertise on the subject matter that supports the preparation of an environmental
information statement (3.1.5)
Note 1 to entry: Arranging training and participating as a trainer is not considered consultancy, provided
that, where the course relates to validation (3.3.16) and verification (3.3.15) or the environmental information
statement being validated or verified, it is confined to the provision of generic information, i.e. the trainer should
not provide client-specific advice or solutions.
3.3.11
appeal
request to the body for reconsideration of a decision it has made with respect to the issuance of a
validation (3.3.25) or verification opinion (3.3.23)
3.3.12
complaint
expression of dissatisfaction, other than appeal (3.3.11), by any person or organization (3.2.2) to a body,
relating to the activities of that body, where a response is expected
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 17000:2020, 8.7, modified — “body” has replaced “conformity assessment body or an
accreditation body”.]
3.3.13
engagement
arrangement between the validation (3.3.26) or verification body (3.3.27) and its client (3.2.1) with the
terms to perform services, usually specified in the form of a contract
Note 1 to entry: The word “engagement” is also sometimes used to refer to the activities performed under an
engagement, such as a validation (3.3.16) or a verification (3.3.15), or an agreement to perform agreed-upon
procedures (3.3.17).
3.3.14
assurance
confidence in an environmental information statement (3.1.5) that is historical in nature
3.3.15
environmental information verification
verification
process for evaluating an environmental information statement (3.1.5) based on historical data and
information to determine whether the statement is materially correct and conforms to criteria (3.3.20)
Note 1 to entry: Verification activities performed that do not lead to the expression of an opinion are called
agreed-upon procedures (3.3.17).
Note 2 to entry: The term “environmental information verification” is shortened to “verification” in this document
to reduce sentence complexity and aid understanding.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

3.3.16
environmental information validation
validation
process for evaluating the reasonableness of the assumptions, limitations and methods that support an
environmental information statement (3.1.5) about the outcome of future activities
Note 1 to entry: The term “environmental information validation” is shortened to “validation” in this document
to reduce sentence complexity and aid understanding.
3.3.17
agreed-upon procedures
AUP
engagement (3.3.13) that reports on the results of verification (3.3.15) activities and does not provide
an opinion (3.3.23)
Note 1 to entry: Agreed-upon procedures do not provide assurance (3.3.14).
3.3.18
level of assurance
degree of confidence in the environmental information statement (3.1.5)
Note 1 to entry: Assurance (3.3.14) is provided on historical information.
[SOURCE: ISO 14064-3:2019, 3.6.5, modified — “environmental information statement” has replaced
“GHG statement”. Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.3.19
materiality
concept that individual misstatements (3.3.21) or the aggregation of misstatements could influence the
intended users’ (3.2.4) decisions
[SOURCE: ISO 14064-3:2019, 3.6.9]
3.3.20
criteria
policies, procedures or requirements used as a reference against which the environmental information
statement (3.1.5) is compared
Note 1 to entry: Criteria may be established by governments, regulators, environmental information programmes
(3.1.6), voluntary reporting initiatives, standards, codes of practice, or internal procedures.
Note 2 to entry: “Criteria” is used in place of “specified requirements” used in ISO/IEC 17029.
“GHG statement”. Notes 1 and 2 to entry have been added.]
3.3.21
misstatement
error, omission, misreporting or misrepresentation in the environmental information statement (3.1.5)
Note 1 to entry: Misstatement can be qualitative or quantitative.
“GHG statement”. Note 1 to entry has been added.]

ISO 14065:2020(E)

3.3.22
material misstatement
individual misstatement (3.3.21) or the aggregate of actual misstatements in the environmental
information statement (3.1.5) that could affect the decisions of the intended users (3.2.4)
“GHG statement”.]
3.3.23
verification opinion
formal written declaration to the intended user (3.2.4) that provides confidence that the environmental
information statement (3.1.5) is materially correct and conforms with the criteria (3.3.20)
Note 1 to entry: The term “verification opinion” is a type of “verification statement” in ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 3.7.
[SOURCE: ISO 14064-3:2019, 3.6.18, modified — In the term, “/validation” has been deleted. In the
definition, “that the environmental information statement is materially correct” has replaced “on the
GHG statement in the responsible party’s GHG report”. Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.3.24
report of factual findings
documented output of agreed-upon procedures (3.3.17)
Note 1 to entry: The term “report of factual findings” is a type of “verification statement” in ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 3.7.
3.3.25
validation opinion
formal written declaration to the intended user (3.2.4) on the reasonableness of the assumptions,
methods and limitations used to develop forecasts and projections contained in the environmental
information statement (3.1.5)
Note 1 to entry: The term “validation opinion” is a type of “validation statement” in ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 3.6.
Note 2 to entry: Reasonableness of the assumptions, methods and limitations includes consideration of
conformity to applicable criteria (3.3.20).
[SOURCE: ISO 14064-3:2019, 3.6.18, modified— In the term, “verification/” has been deleted. In
the definition, “on the reasonableness of the assumptions, methods and limitations used to develop
forecasts and projections contained in the environmental information statement” has replaced “on the
GHG statement in the responsible party’s GHG report and confirms conformity to the criteria”. Notes 1
and 2 to entry have been added.]
3.3.26
validation body
body that performs validation (3.3.16)
Note 1 to entry: A validation body can be an organization (3.2.2), or part of an organization.
Note 2 to entry: The term “the validation/verification body” is shortened to “the body” in this document to
reduce sentence complexity and aid understanding.
3.3.27
verification body
body that performs verification (3.3.15)
Note 1 to entry: A verification body can be an organization (3.2.2), or part of an organization.
Note 2 to entry: The term “the validation/verification body” is shortened to “the body” in this document to
reduce sentence complexity and aid understanding.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

4 Principles
4.1 General
ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 4.1, shall be followed.
NOTE The reference to “specified requirements” in ISO/IEC 17029 means “criteria” in this document.
4.2 Principles for the validation/verification process

4.3 Principles for validation/verification bodies

4.4 Conservativeness
When the body assesses comparable alternatives, preference is given to the alternative that is cautiously
moderate.
4.5 Professional scepticism

Attitude based on recognition of the potential circumstances that can cause material misstatements in
an environmental information statement.
NOTE ISO 14066:2011, Annex A, provides guidance on evidence and the application of professional
scepticism. This annex applies equally to the validation and verification of all environmental information.
5 General requirements
5.1 Legal entity

The body shall have a documented description of its legal status including, if applicable, the names of its
owners and, if different, the names of the persons who control it.
5.2 Responsibility for validation/verification statements

NOTE The reference to “validation/verification statements” in ISO/IEC 17029 means “validation/verification
opinions” in this document.
The body shall be responsible for the activities that it performs in AUP engagements and for the reports
of factual findings that it issues as a result of the application of the procedures.
5.3 Management of impartiality

The body shall ensure, through a mechanism independent of its operations, that impartiality is being
achieved.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

5.4 Liability
6 Structural requirements
6.1 Organizational structure and top management

6.2 Operational control

7 Resource requirements
7.1 General
7.2 Personnel
For ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 7.2.4, note that verifiers and validators demonstrate compliance with ethical
requirements by adhering to the principles included in Clause 4.
For ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 7.2.5, the period specified shall not be less than two years.
7.3 Management process for the competence of personnel
7.3.1 ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 7.3, shall be followed.
7.3.2 In addition to having the process required by ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 7.3.1, the body shall establish,
implement and maintain a process for:
a) defining required competencies for each programme and sector in which it operates;
b) ensuring that verifiers, validators, technical experts and reviewers have appropriate competencies;
c) ensuring that there is access to relevant internal or external expertise for advice on specific matters
relating to the environmental information programme, validation/verification activities, sectors or
areas within the scope of their work.
The additional requirements and competencies for personnel given in Annexes D, E and F shall be
followed as applicable.
7.3.3 Regarding ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 7.3.3, note that performance monitoring shall be periodic.
Monitoring techniques may include annual performance reviews, review of the reports, on the job
monitoring and interviews. The monitoring techniques used shall be in proportion with the impact of the
performance on the outcome of the validation/verification.
7.3.4 The body shall establish competent validation/verification teams and shall provide appropriate
management and support services. If one individual fulfils all the requirements for a validation/
verification team, then that person may be considered as a validation/verification team.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

7.3.5 The validation/verification team shall have the ability to apply detailed knowledge of the
applicable programme, including its:
a) eligibility requirements;
b) implementation in different jurisdictions, as applicable;
c) validation or verification requirements and guidelines.
7.3.6 The validation/verification team shall have sufficient technical expertise to evaluate:
a) relevant activities and technologies;

b) quantification, monitoring and reporting, including relevant technical and sector issues
7.3.7 The validation/verification team shall have data and information auditing expertise to evaluate
the environmental information statement, including the ability:
a) to evaluate the information system to determine whether the responsible party has effectively
identified, collected, analysed and reported on relevant environmental information, and has
systematically taken corrective actions to address any misstatements and nonconformities;
b) to design an evidence-gathering plan;
c) to analyse risks associated with the use of data and data systems;
d) to identify failures in data and data systems;
e) to evaluate the impact of the various streams of data on the materiality of the environmental
information statement.
7.3.8 The validation/verification team shall be able to communicate effectively in appropriate

languages on matters relevant to the validation or verification.
7.3.9 The validation/verification team leader shall have:
a) sufficient knowledge and expertise of the competencies detailed in 7.3.1 to 7.3.5 to manage the
validation/verification team in order to meet the validation or verification objectives;
b) the demonstrated ability to perform a validation or verification;
c) the demonstrated ability to manage audit teams.
7.4 Outsourcing
For ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 7.4 b), note that “engagement activities” refers to the process by which an
agreement between the client and the body is concluded.
8 Validation/verification programme
ISO/IEC 17029:2019, Clause 8, shall be followed.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

9 Process requirements
9.1 General
9.2 Pre-engagement
NOTE A statement to be validated and verified is equivalent to a proposed claim in ISO/IEC 17029.
In addition to the requirements given in ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.2.2, the validation/verification team
shall ensure that the engagement type(s) has(ve) been identified.
Engagement type(s) may include verification, validation, AUP or a combination thereof.
9.3 Engagement
In addition to the requirements given in ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.3.2, the client shall communicate any
facts to the body that can affect the validity of an issued opinion.
9.4 Planning
9.4.2 In addition to the planning activities required in ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.4.1, the validation/
verification team shall:
a) perform a strategic analysis to understand the nature and complexity related to the environmental
information statement and to determine the extent of the validation/verification activities based
on the engagement type;
b) assess the risk of nonconformity to the criteria.
Figure 1 shows the general planning process.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Figure 1 — Steps of a planning process
9.4.3 In addition to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.4.2, the validation/verification plan
shall include the level of assurance and materiality.
9.4.4 The validation/verification plan and evidence-gathering plan shall be approved by the team leader.
9.4.5 Amendments to the validation/verification plan and evidence-gathering plan shall be approved
by the team leader in the following circumstances:
a) change in scope or timing of validation/verification activities;

b) change in evidence-gathering procedures;
c) change in locations and sources of information for evidence-gathering;
d) when the validation/verification process identifies new risks or concerns that could lead to material
misstatements or nonconformities.
9.5 Validation/verification execution

NOTE Guidance for sufficient and objective evidence is provided in ISO 14066:2011, Annex A.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

9.6 Review
9.6.2 In addition to the requirements in ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.6.2, the review shall be carried out
by persons who have not been involved in the planning (see 9.4) and are not part of the validation/
verification team.
NOTE As long as personnel conducting a review have not participated in validation or verification activities
under the direction of the team leader, they are not considered members of the validation/verification team.
9.6.3 For ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.6.3 c), note that “significant findings” are misstatements and
nonconformities identified by the validation/verification team that could affect the opinion.
9.6.4 In addition to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.6.3, the review shall confirm:
a) the competencies of validation/verification team members for the activities that they conducted;
b) whether the validation/verification planning has been designed appropriately, including whether
the objective, scope and materiality are addressed by:
1) the strategic analysis and risk assessment;
2) the validation/verification plan;
3) the evidence-gathering plan;
c) significant decisions made by the validation/verification team during the validation/verification;
d) whether the opinion is appropriately drafted;
e) whether the environmental information statement is fairly stated and conforms to criteria.
9.6.5 In addition to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.6.5, the review may be started at any
time during the process before the opinion is issued to allow significant issues identified by the reviewer
to be resolved, provided that the independence of the reviewer is maintained, and the activities planned
and undertaken by the reviewer(s), including the results, are documented.
NOTE A reviewer is sometimes referred to as an “independent reviewer” as given in ISO 14064-3:2019, 3.2.9.
9.6.6 The review shall be completed before the final opinion, or the report of factual finding for the
AUP, is issued.
9.7 Decision and issue of the validation/verification statement
9.7.1 Decision
9.7.1.1 ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.7.1, shall be followed.
9.7.1.2 Regarding ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.7.1.1, note that the reference to the word “claim” means
“environmental information statement” in this document. A claim can be confirmed when the body
concludes that the claim is materially correct and conforms with specified criteria.
9.7.1.3 The validation/verification body shall decide whether to confirm an environmental information
statement that it has tested using AUP in a mixed engagement. The decision shall be based upon the
body’s report of factual findings (see Annex C).

ISO 14065:2020(E)

9.7.1.4 Regarding ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.7.1.2, note that the person assigned to make the decision may
be the reviewer. The decision shall be made by persons who have not been involved in the validation/
verification planning (see 9.4).
9.7.1.5 Regarding ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.7.1.3, note that the reference to the word “statement” means
“verification opinion or validation opinion” in this document.
In the case of AUP, the decision is issued through a report of factual findings.
Bodies may choose not to issue an opinion when the engagement is terminated prior to completion.
9.7.1.6 If an opinion is issued, the body shall select one type of opinion, such as:
a) unmodified;
b) modified;
c) adverse.
NOTE Annex A describes types of opinions, including unmodified, modified, adverse and variant terminology.
9.7.1.7 The body may disclaim the issuance of an opinion when it is unable to obtain sufficient and
appropriate evidence to come to a conclusion. In this case, the body shall ensure that it has been unable
to obtain sufficient appropriate evidence and can conclude that the possible effects on the environmental
information statement of undetected material misstatement(s) are material and pervasive (see Tables A.1
and A.2).
9.7.1.8 At the conclusion of an engagement to verify statements of historical information, the

verification body shall issue an opinion, unless it has disclaimed the issuance of an opinion or the
engagement type is AUP. An opinion providing assurance to intended users shall be based upon the
verification of sufficient and appropriate historical evidence.
NOTE Only unmodified or modified opinions provide assurance to intended users.
9.7.1.9 At the conclusion of an engagement to validate statements about the outcome of future
activities, the validation body shall issue an opinion, unless it has disclaimed the issuance of an opinion.
A validation opinion on the reasonableness of the assumptions, limitations and methods used to forecast
information shall be based upon the evaluation of sufficient and appropriate information.
9.7.2 Issue of the validation/verification statement
ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.7.2, shall be followed.

If the environmental information statement includes a mixture of hypothetical, projected and/or
historical information, the validation and verification opinion may be included in the same document.
The opinion shall contain:
— identification of the environmental information-related activity (e.g. organization, project or
product);
— identification of the responsible party;
— a statement that the environmental information statement is the responsibility of the responsible
party;
— identification of the criteria agreed by the responsible party and the body for the development of
the environmental information statement;

ISO 14065:2020(E)

— identification of the criteria used by the body to validate or verify the environmental information
statement;
— where the environmental information statement includes future predictions, an explanation that
the actual result can differ from the estimate because the assumptions upon which the estimate is
based can change.
The opinion may contain statements that limit the liability of the body.
A modified opinion shall contain a description of the reason for the modification. If the reason for the
modified opinion is quantitative, the body’s opinion shall indicate the value of the material misstatement
and its effect on the environmental information statement.
An adverse opinion shall include the reason(s) for the adverse opinion.
When disclaiming the issuance of an opinion, the body shall provide an explanation.
9.8 Facts discovered after the issue of the validation/verification statement

9.9 Handling of appeals

9.10 Handling of complaints

9.11 Records
10 Information requirements
10.1 Publicly available information

Publicly provided information shall include any requirements regarding the use of the body’s opinion in
its entirety (see Annex B).
10.2 Other information to be available
10.2.2 For ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 10.2.2, note that the status of the validation/verification opinion can be
confirmation of the identity of the body that issued the opinion, its date of issuance and, if applicable, the
revision date.
10.2.3 In addition to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 10.2.3, the validation/verification team
shall provide a detailed description of the validation/verification process.
NOTE The description of the validation/verification process includes how the body considers previous
validation/verification results, where appropriate and if available.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

10.3 Reference to validation/verification and use of marks

NOTE Information on third-party marks of conformity is given in ISO/IEC 17030.
10.3.2 The body shall ensure its agreement requires that the client shall not use the environmental
information statement, opinion, report, marks, logos or labels in a manner that could mislead intended
users or impair the reputation of the body.
Marks, logos and labels may include symbols of the body or those associated with a programme.
The body shall establish rules applying to references to data and information in an environmental
information statement that were validated or verified.
NOTE References to validation/verification opinions, reports and use of marks are further explained in
Annex B.
10.3.3 The body’s agreement shall require the client to ensure that any opinions or reports of factual
findings made public by the client are communicated in their entirety.
10.4 Confidentiality
11 Management system requirements
11.1 General
11.2 Management review

The management review shall be conducted at least once a year, not exceeding 15 months between
management reviews.
11.3 Internal audits

The internal audit shall be conducted at least once a year, not exceeding 15 months between audits.
11.4 Corrective action

11.5 Actions to address risks and opportunities

11.6 Documented information


ISO 14065:2020(E)

Annex A
(informative)
Types of opinions
If an opinion is issued, the body shall select an opinion type from a column in Table A.1.
NOTE In case of a mixed engagement (see ISO 14064-3:2019, Annex D), the body can issue more than one
opinion or issue opinion(s) and a report of factual findings. Table A.1 provides different terms used to describe
opinion types for different programmes.
Table A.1 — Validation/verification opinion name variants

Programme A Programme B Programme C Programme D Programme E
Unmodified Unqualified Positive Satisfactory Positive
Satisfactory with
Modified Qualified Qualified positive
comments
Adverse Adverse Adverse Unsatisfactory Negative
NOTE Source: ISO 14064-3:2019, 9.2, Table 1.
NOTE 2 The word “negative” in this context does not refer to a limited level of assurance opinion.
NOTE 3 If there is insufficient evidence to support a conclusion, the body can disclaim the issuance of an
opinion.
Table A.2 provides an example of the possible relationship between the type and extent of misstatements
and the type of opinion.
Table A.2 — Misstatements and opinion types

Type of misstatement Extent of misstatement Opinion type
There is no misstatement None Unmodified
The misstatement is not material Not pervasive Unmodified/Modified
The misstatement is material Not pervasive Modified
Pervasive Adverse
There is a misstatement, but the type is unknown Not pervasive Modified
Pervasive Disclaimed
NOTE 1 When misstatement is not material and not pervasive, opinions may be modified when programme requirements
dictate.
NOTE 2 Pervasive misstatements, individually or in aggregate, are those that are:
— not confined to specific elements, classifications or line items of the environmental information statement;
— even if confined, represent a substantial portion of the environmental information statement;
— fundamental to the intended user’s understanding of the environmental information statement.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Annex B
(informative)
Reference to validated/verified statements and use of marks
B.1 General
Validation and verification of environmental information statements can result in responsible parties
making reference to the findings, conclusions, reports and opinions expressed by validation/verification
bodies. Verification or validation bodies have the responsibility (see 10.3) to establish rules governing
references made by responsible parties to validation/verification and governing the use of marks.
B.2 References to validated or verified statements

B.2.1 General
In its rules, the body should distinguish between “short-form” and “long-form” references to validated
or verified environmental information statements. The body should require that any use of a short-
form reference include or make reference to a long-form reference.
NOTE “Include” means that the long-form reference is provided in proximity to the short-form reference
in the same medium. “Make reference to” means that a reference to the location of the long-form reference in
another medium (e.g. website) is provided in proximity to the short-form reference.
Acceptable references for validated or verified environmental information statements are provided in
Table B.1
Table B.1 — Acceptable references for validated or verified environmental information

statements
Subject matter is Short form Long form
Historical in naturea “Verified at the reasonable “In its opinion dated 20xx-xx-xx, [name of body]b con-
level of assurance” cluded with reasonable assurance that the data and
information in our statement were fairly stated.”
Historical in naturea “Verified at the limited “In its opinion dated 20xx-xx-xx, [name of body]b found
level of assurance” no evidence to indicate that the data and information
in our statement were not fairly stated.”
Projected or forecast “Validated” “In its opinion dated 20xx-xx-xx, [name of body]b
stated that it had not found any evidence to indicate
that the assumptions, methods and limitations that
we cited in our statement did not provide a reasonable
basis for our projections or forecasts.”
a Historical data and information submitted for verification may be monitored, estimated or modelled.
b When a responsible party refers to a statement as “verified”, the long-form reference applies to any reference implying
verification, e.g. by using words such as “verified”, “third-party verified” or “verified by [name of body].”
B.2.2 References to verification on product statements based on life cycle assessment of

products
Verification bodies should apply separate rules for references to mixed engagement of verification and
AUP for statements that are based on the life cycle assessment of products. References are provided in
Table B.2.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Table B.2 — References to verification and AUP for statements based on the life cycle
assessment of products
Type of reference Short form Long form
Functional or declared “Confirmed” “The upstream and the core data and information in
units (mixed engagement) our statement were verified and the downstream data
and information were tested by AUP by
[name of body]a, which did not find any evidence to
indicate that our statement was not fairly stated. The
verification opinion of the [name of body]a and the
report of factual findings were issued on 20xx-xx-xx.”
a When a responsible party refers to subject matter as “verified”, the long-form reference applies to any reference
implying verification, e.g. by using words such as “verifier”, “third-party verifier” or “[name of body]”.
B.3 Use of marks

The rules governing the use of marks should include the use of marks designed to ensure that
the responsible party does not use the mark to imply that statements not subject to validation or
verification have been validated or verified. For example, use of a body’s mark may include affixing it
in a responsible party’s environmental information report next to a description of verified or validated
environmental information. It is not permitted to use the body’s mark on environmental information
statements which contain information that has not been validated or verified. Examples of the
acceptable and unacceptable use of marks are illustrated in Table B.3.
Table B.3 — Examples of acceptable and unacceptable use of marks

Example of an acceptable use of a mark
[Name of body’s mark] “Our inventory of greenhouse gas data and information was verified by [name
of body].”
“In its opinion dated 20xx-xx-xx, [name of body] concluded [with reasonable
assurance] that the data and information in our statement were fairly stated.”
Example of an unacceptable use of a mark
[Name of body’s mark] “Our inventory of greenhouse gas data and information demonstrated that
[responsible party name] had achieved its sustainability goals and had realized
science-based targets that put us on a path to transitioning to a low carbon
economy in alignment with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.”

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Annex C
(informative)
Examples of reports of factual findings
C.1 General
This annex provides examples of reports of factual findings that can be issued as the outcome of an AUP
engagement. Reports of factual findings are issued as the result of an AUP engagement because issuing
an opinion (and thereby providing assurance) is not an option with this type of engagement.
A report of factual findings should include the scope of the subject matter addressed by the procedures,
the criteria used for performing them (e.g. ISO 14064-3:2019, Annex C), and the purpose and limitations
associated with the agreed-upon verification activities. A report of factual findings should include
a statement that the report is to be used solely by the intended user(s) that has(ve) agreed upon the
procedures.
The body should report all findings from the application of AUP.
The body should state in its report of factual findings that had it performed additional evidence-
gathering procedures or performed a validation or verification of the environmental information, other
matters might have come to its attention that would have been reported.
Verifiers who use this engagement type should ensure that the elements given in Table C.1 are included
in each report of factual findings.
Table C.1 — Example of an agreed-upon procedures report content

Title Title that includes the word “impartial”.
Addressee (ordinarily the intended user(s)).
Content and roles Identification of the responsible party.
Identification of the subject.
A statement that the subject is the responsibility of the responsible party.
A statement that the sufficiency of the procedures is solely the responsibility of the
intended user(s).
A disclaimer of the body’s responsibility for the sufficiency of those procedures.
Methodology A statement that the procedures performed were those agreed to between the
responsible party and the validation/verification body.
A statement that the AUP was performed in accordance with [insert standard/
programme].
A statement that the report of factual findings is to be used solely by the intended
user(s) who have agreed upon the procedures.
Procedures and Identification of the purpose for which the AUP were performed.
results
A listing of the specific procedures performed.
Where applicable, a description of any agreed-upon materiality limits.
A description of the body’s factual findings including sufficient details of errors and
exceptions found.
Caveats to the Where applicable, reservations or restrictions concerning procedures or findings.
methodology
Where applicable, a description of the nature of the assistance provided by a specialist.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Table C.1 (continued)

Caveats to the A statement that the activities performed are a particular type of verification activity
AUP report that does not result in the issuance of an opinion and does not provide assurance.
A statement that had the body performed additional activities, a validation or
verification, other matters might have come to light that would have been reported.
A statement that the report of factual findings is designed for the intended user and
may not be suitable for any other purposes.
Body Date of the report.
Body’s address.
Body’s signature.
C.2 Example of a report of factual findings for a company destroying ozone-

depleting substances
The intended user in this example is a company that sought a report on its performance with respect
to the operating parameters described in the Code of Good Housekeeping approved by the Montreal
Protocol[19] for facilities destroying ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
Impartial report of factual findings

To the management of the [Destruction Company (hereafter “DC”)], Country A and the Ministry of
Environment (hereafter “MoE”), Country A.
Agreed-upon procedures
We have performed the evidence-gathering procedures agreed with DC and MoE, Country A’s regula-
tory authority for the destruction of ozone-depleting substances, and enumerated below with respect
to the operating parameters described in the Code of Good Housekeeping approved by the Technology
and Economic Assessment Panel of the Montreal Protocol (2006, 7th Edition) for facilities destroying
ozone-depleting substances for the period 1 August 2017 to 31 October 2017.
Our engagement was undertaken in accordance with the International Organization for Standardiza-
tion’s “Specification with guidance for the validation and verification of greenhouse gas statements”
(ISO 14064-3:2019). The sufficiency of these procedures is solely the responsibility of the intended
users specified in this report. Consequently, we make no representation regarding the sufficiency
of the procedures described below either for the purpose for which this report has been requested
or for any other purpose. These procedures were performed solely to assist DC’s ODS Destruction
Department in evaluating the results of its application of the Code of Good Housekeeping during the
period 1 August 2017 to 31 October 2017.
We were not engaged to and did not conduct an assurance engagement, the objective of which would
have been the expression of an opinion on DC’s statement of conformity to operating parameters
described in specified criteria. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion. Had we performed
additional procedures, other matters might have come to our attention that would have been
reported to you.
DC is solely responsible for the information that it provided to us for the purposes of this engagement.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Our procedures can be summarized as follows:

1. We checked the applicability of air and water regulations to DC’s facility by obtaining
communications provided to DC from MoE, the federal environmental regulatory authority.
2. We obtained and checked all records of communications with suppliers during the period August
to October 2017 and compared the packaging and shipping instructions to the packaging and
containment requirements in DC’s ODS acquisition procedures (SOP 12345) and purchase work
instruction (WI 12345‑002) pg. 4 that states that DC “…will provide packaging and shipping
instructions to ODS suppliers”.
3. We obtained and checked the weekly tank detection tests for the period August to October
2017 and compared the test procedure to DC’s “Recovery Procedures for Destruction Material”
(SOP 56789) pg. 7.
4. We obtained and checked the weekly logs for arriving ODS cylinders to confirm conformity to
the “Receiving Procedures Upon Arrival of Product” work instruction (WI 56789‑001) pg. 5 that
requires that the cylinders are checked for leakage upon arrival.
5. We visited DC’s ODS storage room to observe the cylinder weighing procedures to confirm
conformity to DC’s ODS cylinder weighing procedure (SOP 12456).
6. We obtained 12 records of full and empty weights for ODS cylinders and subtracted the empty
weight from the full weight for each cylinder to determine whether there was a positive value
greater than 5 kg.
7. We obtained DC’s ODS sampling and analysis quality control procedures and compared them
against “Sampling of Feed Tanks” SOP 34567 p. 8.
8. We obtained and compared the Air Compliance Laboratory of Country A’s report on the destruction
efficiency of DC’s argon arc plasma destruction technology against the minimum acceptable
destruction efficiency of 99,99 % with concentrations of pollutants in stack gases and stack gas
flow rates expressed on the basis of dry gas at normal conditions of 0°C and 101,3 kPa, and with
the stack gas corrected to 11 % O2.
We report our findings below:
a. With respect to item 1, a communication from Official #1 of MoE dated 14 January 2016 stated
that no air emission or water discharge regulations applied to DC’s facility.
b. With respect to item 2, all (five) records were found to have packing and shipping instructions
that conformed to DC’s ODS acquisition procedure (SOP 12345) and purchase work instruction
(WI 12345‑002).
c. We found that the tank detection tests for the period August to October 2017 conformed to DC’s
“Recovery Procedures for Destruction Material” (SOP 56789) pg. 7.
d. We found that the weekly logs for arriving ODS cylinders conformed to the “Receiving Procedures
Upon Arrival of Product” work instruction (WI 56789‑001) pg. 5.
e. The observed weighing procedure conformed to DC’s ODS cylinder weighing procedure
(SOP 12456).
f. Twelve records had a difference in weight of greater than 5 kg.
g. DC’s quality control procedures conformed to “Sampling of Feed Tanks” SOP 34567 p. 8.
h. The destruction efficiency reported exceeded minimum requirements.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Because the above procedures do not constitute either a validation or verification in accordance with
the International Organization for Standardization’s “Specification with guidance for the validation
and verification of greenhouse gas statements” (ISO 14064-3:2019), we do not express any assurance
on the statements made to us (dated 25 January 2019) by DC with respect to its conformity to the
referenced criteria.
Had we performed additional evidence-gathering procedures, or had we performed a verification of
emission reductions obtained from the destruction of ODS in accordance with an applicable
greenhouse gas mitigation protocol, other matters might have come to our attention that would
have been reported.
Our report is solely for DC’s ODS Destruction Department and for the MoE and may not be suitable for
any other purposes.
12 March 2019
MNO’s Verifiers
C.3 Example of a report of factual findings for an issuer of green bonds

The subject matter of the AUP in this example relates to pre-issuance plans of the issuer of a green bond.
Impartial report of factual findings

To the management of The Treasury, Country B (hereafter “The Treasury”) and ABC Bank, Country B
(hereafter “ABC Bank”).
Agreed-upon procedures
We have performed the evidence-gathering procedures agreed with The Treasury and ABC Bank,
and enumerated below with respect to the prospective issuance of a green bond for wastewater
treatment infrastructure improvements in City Z, Country B.
Our engagement was undertaken in accordance with requirements in ISO 14065:2020 and ISO 14030-
3:—. The sufficiency of these procedures is solely the responsibility of the intended users specified
in this report. Consequently, we make no representation regarding the sufficiency of the procedures
described below either for the purpose for which this report has been requested or for any other
purpose. These procedures were performed solely to assist The Treasury and ABC Bank in evaluating
the results of the application of ISO 14030-1:— and ISO 14030-3:— to the planned issuance of a green
bond for wastewater treatment infrastructure improvements in City Z, Country B.
We were not engaged to and did not conduct an assurance engagement, the objective of which would
have been the expression of an opinion on the conformity of The Treasury’s designation of its City Z
2019 water infrastructure debt obligation as a green bond meeting the requirements of
ISO 14030-1:— and ISO 14030-3:—. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion. Had we
performed additional procedures, other matters might have come to our attention that would have
been reported to you.
The Treasury is solely responsible for the information that it provided to us for the purposes of this
engagement.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Our procedures can be summarized as follows:

1. We obtained and checked the final pre-issuance Bond Disclosure Documentation dated
2019-02-15 to determine whether it included an eligibility assessment process for nominated
projects.
2. We obtained and checked the final pre-issuance Bond Disclosure Documentation dated
2019-02-15 to determine whether this process met the requirements of ISO 14030-1.
3. We obtained and checked the addition of the planned net proceeds of the bond and compared the
sum to the issuer’s debt obligation or fair market value (whichever is less) of nominated projects
and assets.
4. We reviewed the water infrastructure project type that is intended to be funded by The Treasury’s
planned debt issuance for City Z and compared this type to the taxonomy of eligible water
infrastructure project types in ISO 14030-3.
5. We obtained records used for tracking the proceeds to determine whether an uninterrupted audit
trail could be established between intake and disbursement.
6. We obtained and checked records of assets not yet purchased and compared their estimated costs
to the amounts of unallocated funds held in earmarked accounts.
We report our findings below:
a. The final pre-issuance Bond Disclosure Documentation dated 2019-02-15 described an eligibility
assessment process.
b. The final pre-issuance Bond Disclosure Documentation dated 2019-02-15 conformed to the
requirements of ISO 14030-1.
c. The fair market value of nominated projects and assets exceeded the planned net proceeds of
the bond.
d. The water infrastructure project type planned for City Z conformed to one of the types included
in the taxonomy of eligible project types in ISO 14030-3.
e. A continuous audit trail was found for the intake to the disbursement of proceeds.
f. The amount of funds held in earmarked accounts exceeded by three per cent the estimated costs
of assets not yet purchased.
Because the above procedures do not constitute a verification in accordance with the International
Organization for Standardization’s “Requirements for bodies validating and verifying environmental
information” (ISO 14065:2020) and with “Green debt instruments— Part 4: Verification programme
requirements” (ISO 14030-4:—), we do not express any assurance on the statements made to us
(dated 15 February 2019) by The Treasury, Country B, and ABC Bank, Country B, with respect to its
conformity to the referenced criteria.
Had we performed additional evidence-gathering procedures or had we performed an assurance
engagement with respect to the conformity of The Treasury’s designated green bond for water
infrastructure improvements in City Z, other matters might have come to our attention that would
have been reported.
Our report is solely for The Treasury, Country B, and ABC Bank, Country B, and may not be suitable
for any other purposes.
12 March 2019
MNO’s Verifiers

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Annex D
(normative)
Additional requirements applicable to green bond validation,

verification and AUP
D.1 General
This annex provides requirements for bodies that perform validation, verification or AUP when
the environmental information statement relates to a green bond or green loan. It contains specific
requirements related to competencies and processes.
D.2 Personnel competence

The body shall apply the requirements of this document and ISO 14030-4 when forming verification
teams or validation teams.
D.3 Process requirements

When fulfilling the process requirements in Clause 9 for statements claiming conformity to the
requirements of ISO 14030-1 or ISO 14030-2, the body may perform its engagements in accordance with:
a) the requirements of ISO 14030-4 and, with the necessary adaptations made, with ISO 14064-3; or
b) the requirements of ISAE 3000 and, as applicable, ISRS 4400.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Annex E
(normative)
Additional requirements applicable to greenhouse gas validation,

verification and AUP
E.1 General
This annex provides requirements for bodies that perform validation or verification, or AUP, when the
environmental information statement relates to greenhouse gas. It contains specific requirements
related to competencies and processes.
E.2 Competencies
E.2.1 General
In addition to the requirements in Clause 7 and ISO 14066, the requirements in E.2.2 to E.2.3 shall apply.
E.2.2 Competencies of personnel

The validation or verification body shall:
a) ensure that validators and verifiers, and, where required, technical experts, have access to up-to-
date information on, and have demonstrated ability to apply skills and knowledge of, greenhouse
gas validation or verification processes, requirements, methodologies, activities, other relevant
greenhouse gas programme provisions, and applicable legal requirements;
b) identify training needs and provide, as necessary, training on greenhouse gas validation or
verification processes, requirements, methodologies, activities, and other relevant greenhouse gas
programme requirements.
E.2.3 Deployment of teams
E.2.3.1 Validation/verification team knowledge
The validation/verification team shall have detailed knowledge of the applicable greenhouse gas
programme, including its:
a) eligibility requirements;
b) implementation in different jurisdictions as applicable;
c) validation or verification requirements and guidelines.
E.2.3.2 Validation/verification team technical expertise
The validation/verification team shall have sufficient technical expertise to evaluate:

a) the greenhouse gas project’s, organization’s or product’s specific greenhouse gas activity and
technology;
b) identification and selection of greenhouse gas sources, sinks or reservoirs;
c) quantification, monitoring and reporting, including relevant technical and sector issues;

ISO 14065:2020(E)

d) situations that can affect the materiality of the greenhouse gas statement, including typical and
atypical operating conditions.
The validation/verification team shall have expertise to evaluate the implications of financial,
operational, contractual or other agreements that can affect the greenhouse gas project, organization
or product boundaries, including any legal requirements related to the greenhouse gas statement.
E.2.3.3 Validation/verification team data and information auditing expertise
In addition to the requirements given in 7.3.7, the following requirements apply.

The validation/verification team shall have data and information auditing expertise to evaluate the
greenhouse gas statement of the greenhouse gas project, organization or product, including the ability:
a) to evaluate the greenhouse gas information system to determine whether the project proponent or
organization has effectively identified, collected, analysed and reported on the data necessary to
establish a credible greenhouse gas statement, and has systematically taken corrective actions to
address any nonconformities related to requirements of the relevant greenhouse gas programme
or standards;
b) to evaluate the impact of the various streams of data on the materiality of the greenhouse gas
statement.
E.2.3.4 Specific greenhouse gas project validation team competencies
In addition to the requirements given in E.2.3.1, E.2.3.2 and E.2.3.3, the validation team shall have the
expertise to assess processes, procedures and methodologies used:
a) to select, justify and quantify the baseline scenario, including underlying assumptions;
b) to determine the conservativeness of the baseline scenario;
c) to define the baseline scenario and greenhouse gas project boundaries;
d) to demonstrate equivalence between the type and level of activities, goods or services of the
baseline scenario, and the greenhouse gas project;
e) to demonstrate that greenhouse gas project activities are additional to baseline scenario activities;
f) to demonstrate conformity, if appropriate, to greenhouse gas programme requirements such as
secondary effects (leakage) and permanence.
NOTE ISO 14064-2 includes requirements and guidance on the principle of conservativeness and the concept
of equivalence.
In addition to the requirements given in E.2.3.1, E.2.3.2 and E.2.3.3, the validation team shall have
knowledge of relevant sector trends that can have an impact on the selection of the baseline scenario.
E.2.3.5 Specific greenhouse gas project verification team competencies
In addition to the requirements given in E.2.3.1, E.2.3.2 and E.2.3.3, the project verification team shall
have the expertise appropriate to assess processes, procedures or methodologies used:
a) to evaluate consistency between the validated greenhouse gas project plan and the greenhouse gas
project implementation;
b) to confirm the ongoing appropriateness of the validated greenhouse gas project plan, including its
baseline scenario and underlying assumptions.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

E.2.3.6 Specific greenhouse gas product verification team competencies
In addition to the requirements given in E.2.3.1, E.2.3.2 and E.2.3.3, the product verification team shall
have competence on:
— life cycle assessment methodology;
— the product category rule (PCR) or product category rule for carbon footprints (CFP-PCR) applicable
to the specific verification;
— the structure of the database applicable on the specific verification.
E.3 Process requirements

E.3.1 General
When fulfilling the process requirements in Clause 9 for greenhouse gas opinions, the body shall
perform its engagements in accordance with the requirements of ISO 14064-3.
E.3.2 Specific conditions for the carbon footprint of products (CFP) systematic
approach
When verifying a CFP that is formulated in accordance with a CFP systematic approach (see
ISO 14067:2018, Annex C), the verification body shall confirm the ongoing effectiveness of the CFP system.
E.4 Outsourcing
In the absence of greenhouse gas programme prohibitions on outsourcing, the validation or verification
body may outsource activities (see 7.4) but shall require the outsourced body to provide independent
evidence that demonstrates its conformity to this document and with ISO 14064-3.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Annex F
(normative)
Additional requirements applicable to validation, verification

and AUP associated with reporting investments and financing
activities related to climate change
F.1 General
This annex provides requirements for bodies that perform validation or verification, or AUP, when the
environmental information statement relates to reporting investments and financing activities related
to climate change. It contains specific requirements related to competencies and processes.
F.2 Personnel competence

The body shall apply the requirements of this document and ISO 14097 when forming verification
teams or validation teams.
F.3 Process requirements

When fulfilling the process requirements in Clause 9 for statements claiming conformity to the
requirements of ISO 14097, the body may perform its engagements in accordance with:
a) the requirements of ISO 14097:—, Clause 9, and, with the necessary adaptations made, with
ISO 14064-3; or
b) the requirements of ISAE 3000 and, as applicable, ISRS 4400.

ISO 14065:2020(E)

Bibliography
[1] ISO 9001, Quality management systems — Requirements

[2] ISO 14001:2015, Environmental management systems — Requirements with guidance for use
[3] ISO 14016, Environmental management — Guidelines on the assurance of environmental reports
[4] ISO 14030-1:—, 3)Environmental performance evaluation — Green debt instruments — Part 1:
Process for green bonds
[5] ISO 14030-3:—,4)Environmental performance evaluation — Green debt instruments — Part 3:
Taxonomy
[6] ISO 14033, Environmental management — Quantitative environmental information — Guidelines
and examples
[7] ISO 14044, Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Requirements and guidelines
[8] ISO 14046, Environmental management — Water footprint — Principles, requirements and
guidelines
[9] ISO 14050, Environmental management — Vocabulary
[10] ISO 14064-1, Greenhouse gases — Part 1: Specification with guidance at the organization level for
quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals
[11] ISO 14064-2, Greenhouse gases — Part 2: Specification with guidance at the project level for
quantification, monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emission reductions or removal
enhancements
[12] ISO 14067:2018, Greenhouse gases — Carbon footprint of products — Requirements and guidelines
for quantification
[13] ISO 15489-1, Information and documentation — Records management — Part 1: Concepts and
principles
[14] ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015, Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and
certification of management systems — Part 1: Requirements
[15] ISO/IEC 17030, Conformity assessment — General requirements for third-party marks of conformity
[16] ISO 19011:2018, Guidelines for auditing management systems
[17] ISAE 3000, Assurance engagements other than audits or reviews of historical financial information
[18] ISRS 4400, Engagements to Perform Agreed-Upon Procedures Regarding Financial Information
[19] UNEP. Handbook for the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Seventh
Edition. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2006


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INTERNATIONAL ISO

General principles and requirements

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General principles and requirements for bodies validating

3 Terms and definitions

1) Under preparation. Stage at the time of publication: ISO/DIS 14030-4:2020.

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3.1 Terms related to environmental information

[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.2.1]

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Note 2 to entry: A programme can also be called a scheme.

3.2 Terms related to personnel and organization

Note 2 to entry: The responsible party may be the client (3.2.1).

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3.3 Terms related to validation and verification

Note 2 to entry: A programme can also be called a “scheme”.

Note 2 to entry: A programme can also be called a “scheme”.

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Note 2 to entry: The programme owner can be the scheme owner.

Note 2 to entry: The validation/verification team may be accompanied by validators-in-training or verifiers-in-

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4.2 Principles for the validation/verification process

4.3 Principles for validation/verification bodies

4.5 Professional scepticism

5.1 Legal entity

5.2 Responsibility for validation/verification statements

5.3 Management of impartiality

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6.1 Organizational structure and top management

6.2 Operational control

7.3 Management process for the competence of personnel

7.3.1 ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 7.3, shall be followed.

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a) relevant activities and technologies;

7.3.8 The validation/verification team shall be able to communicate effectively in appropriate

7.3.9 The validation/verification team leader shall have:

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9.4.1 ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.4, shall be followed.

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Figure 1 — Steps of a planning process

a) change in scope or timing of validation/verification activities;

9.5 Validation/verification execution

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9.6.1 ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.6, shall be followed.

9.7 Decision and issue of the validation/verification statement

9.7.1.1 ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.7.1, shall be followed.

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9.7.1.8 At the conclusion of an engagement to verify statements of historical information, the

9.7.2 Issue of the validation/verification statement

ISO/IEC 17029:2019, 9.7.2, shall be followed.

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