RMA achieves accredited-verifier status from the California Air Resources Board
09/14/2009
Ryerson, Master and Associates, Inc. (RMA), a member of the Lloyd’s Register Group of entities, has received accreditation from the California Air Resource Board (California ARB) as a recognized verifier for California ARB’s greenhouse-gas (GHG)-emissions-management program.
Ryerson, Master and Associates, Inc. (RMA), a member of the Lloyd’s Register Group of entities, has received accreditation from the California Air Resource Board (California ARB) as a recognized verifier for California ARB’s greenhouse-gas (GHG)-emissions-management program. The accreditation follows RMA’s successful demonstration of its capability, experience, and technical aptitude as a GHG-verification firm.
As an accredited verifier, RMA can now deliver verification to companies and facilities required to have their GHG emissions verified under the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Only California ARB-accredited firms, such as RMA, may provide verification services for the mandatory GHG-emissions-reporting requirements of the California program.
Firms qualified to provide verification services and verification opinions to California ARB are required to meet specific requirements for accreditation, including:
demonstration that the company has mechanisms in place to prevent conflicts of interest;
demonstration that the company has procedures or policies to support technical training related to verification; and
a minimum of five full-time staff members, including two CARB-accredited lead verifiers.
RMA exceeded the last requirement, with seven full-time California ARB-accredited verifiers on staff, five of whom are lead verifiers. This represents one of the highest concentrations of lead verifiers among California ARB-accredited firms, and one of the strongest verification teams accredited by California ARB.
Dr. Ivor John, RMA Vice President of Climate Change Services, emphasized the importance of this accreditation for RMA. “The California ARB’s mandatory reporting regulation is the first such program to use third-party verification for facility-based GHG emissions reporting. This sets a precedent for GHG-emissions reporting in the United States and is consistent with other mandated GHG-reporting schemes in effect in Europe and other countries worldwide. RMA’s expert verification team has the experience and capability to provide rigorous and thorough verification services, essential for assuring that facilities are meeting California ARB’s high standards. This pioneering verification program will be carefully monitored by other agencies considering third-party verification, including other state agencies and the emerging cap-and-trade programs such as the Western Climate Initiative.”