New standard ISO 14034 for ETV by RESCOLL : verified once, recognised everywhere !

New environmental technologies and products will play a key role in boosting European competitiveness and in enabling the EU to take on a leading role as the world transitions to clean energy. However, such technologies can face considerable market barriers as they are innovations which, by definition, do not yet possess a successful track record.

Impartial, quality-assured data on the performance of new technologies is a decisive factor for market acceptance of green technology innovations. In a global economy, business leaders, public organisations, industries and utilities need effective, more environmentally friendly, innovative solutions but they must balance these needs against the risks of adopting novel technologies.

ISO-ETV standard: harmonising ETV globally

The EU Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Pilot Programme aims to help technology developers and vendors, in particular SMEs, by providing a credible verification of the performance claims of a new environmental technology. This independent verification by qualified third-party organisations known as Verification Bodies, validates the technology’s innovative features and thus improves its market prospects.

Similar ETV technology verification schemes exist in other countries, such as Canada, Japan, the Philippines and South-Korea. In total, nine ETV programmes have been implemented worldwide, including the EU ETV  Pilot Programme. Currently, the EU ETV Programme ensures a mutual recognition of performance verification at the EU level, however, there has been no single international standard to enable global acceptance of ETV-verified technologies.

To address this need, the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has just published a new standard, ISO 14034 Environmental management – Environmental technology verification (ETV), which outlines a process for verifying environmental technologies. This process is very similar to the one followed by the EU programme and this should facilitate the wider recognition of EU Statements of Verification.

Wider recognition of verified technologies

Primarily, the new ISO/ETV standard will inform independent verifiers on how to conduct quality-assured verification of an environmental technology with specific sections on verification principles, accepted testing practices and reporting requirements.

The ISO 14034 aims to deliver multiple benefits that will increase confidence towards technologies demonstrating an environmental added value and help to level the playing field for technological innovators. In particular, by harmonising the ETV verification process across international boundaries, the new standard will establish a wider recognition and global credibility of technologies verified under ETV programmes, thereby providing greater access to markets.

The ISO/ETV standard was published on 15 November 2016. For more information, please visit the ISO website or contact RESCOLL 

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environmental technology • Environmental Technology Verification • ETV • EU • ISO 14034 • ISO ETV • rescoll