INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION
The purpose of independent verification under Greenhouse Challenge Plus is to:
- assist Members to improve decisions about greenhouse gas emissions, management and reporting
- strengthen the credibility of Greenhouse Challenge Plus by providing an objective third party non-government assessment of Member reports
- improve the overall effectiveness of the Greenhouse Challenge Plus programme
- check record keeping is appropriate.
Greenhouse Challenge Plus independent verifications require an assessment of Members' reports to determine whether statements made about their greenhouse gas emissions inventories, offsets and abatement actions are free from material discrepancies.
The verification process aims to confirm the material completeness, consistency, accuracy, transparency, relevance and conservativeness of the data in the reports being verified.
Independent Verification Guidelines
The Independent Verification Guidelines detail the principles, standards and processes for verifications for the different elements of the programme.
Greenhouse Challenge Plus
- Download Greenhouse Challenge Plus - Independent Verification Guidelines
(verification-guidelines-dec05.pdf - 468 KB) - Download An Introduction to Independent Verification Guidelines for Greenhouse Challenge Plus Reporting - Fact sheet
(fs14.pdf - 163 KB)
Generator Efficiency Standards
- GES Independent Verification Guidelines
- Download An Introduction to Independent Verification Guidelines for GES - Fact sheet
(fs-iv.pdf - 163 KB)
Greenhouse Friendly™
Additional independent verification guidelines are being developed Greenhouse Friendly™. These guidelines will address the verification issues specific to Greenhouse Friendly™.
The guidelines for Greenhouse Friendly™ will complete a consolidated independent verification framework for Greenhouse Challenge Plus - incorporating verification of Greenhouse Challenge Plus annual progress reports and cooperative agreements, Generator Efficiency Standards plans and annual reports, and Greenhouse Friendly™ products/services and abatement projects.
Contacts
To find out more about how Greenhouse Challenge Plus Independent Verification is a big plus for everyone, contact us today.
Chris Mill
Phone: +61 2 6274 1511
Fax: +61 2 6274 1326
Email: verification@environment.gov.au
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
John Gorton Building
Parkes ACT
GPO Box 787
CANBERRA ACT 2601 Australia
Verification Administration
The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts uses a Verification Administrator to help coordinate verification activities and selected independent verifiers undertake verifications.
Verification Administrator
To ensure independence the verifier administrator coordinates the verification process on behalf of the Greenhouse Challenge Plus Programme. The Verification Administrator is:
Michael Wiener
SMEC Australia Pty Ltd
Phone: 02 9925 5657
Web: www.smec.com.au
Email: greenhouse@smec.com.au
Panel of Independent Verifiers
Approved verifiers can complete independent verifications for the Greenhouse Challenge Plus programme.
- Download the Panel of Independent Verifiers
(ivpanel-080516.pdf - 83 KB)
New Multi-Use List of Verifiers
The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts wants to increase the number of verifiers available to complete independent verification for the Greenhouse Challenge Plus, Generator Efficiency Standards, and Greenhouse Friendly™.
Multi-Use list applications received before 1 November 2007 will be considered for inclusion on the verifier Multi-use list during November 2007.
As long as the Multi-use list is in place applications can be sent to the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts for proponents to be considered to be included on the Multi-use list. We expect to assess applications once a month.
Multi-use list documents are on the Department's tenders website at www.environment.gov.au/about/tendersReporting Template
The Greenhouse Challenge Plus Independent Verification Reporting Template aims to ensure consistent reporting between verifiers by providing a standardised template (consistent with Australian and international greenhouse gas reporting and assurance standards) for verification of Greenhouse Challenge Plus reports.
- Download the Independent Verification Report Template as a PDF file
(verification-template-feb08.pdf - 130 KB) - Download the Independent Verification Report Template as an MSWord file
(verification-template-feb08.doc - 452 KB)
Documents are available for downloading as PDF files. (PDF help).
If you are unable to access these documents, please contact Independent Verification Team to organise a suitable alternative format.

