Achieving greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions of at least 5% compared to the 1990 level requires action now. With the Kyoto Protocol expected to enter into force during 2004, companies and governments are already implementing policies and programmes addressing such reductions. Introduction of emission trading systems, voluntary reduction and reporting programs, carbon or energy taxes, and regulations and standards on energy efficiency and emissions, requires that you begin to manage and reduce GHG emissions and risks.

The Kyoto Protocol introduced three mechanisms to supplement national actions to achieve real, long-term, measurable, and cost-effective GHG reductions: Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, Joint Implementation (JI), and International Emissions Trading (IET). The European Directive on Emissions Trading (EU ETS) limiting CO₂ -emissions in the European Union (EU) and accession countries was agreed upon by the European Commission in 2003.

Australia is not a Kyoto signatory, but has a number of programs in place to reduce emissions. The Commonwealth government has established the Greenhouse Challenge Plus programme initiative, incorporating the Greenhoue Friendly initiative, Generator Efficiency Standards and Greenhouse Challenge. The NSW government has established the NSW Greenhoue Gas Abatement Scheme, an initiative aimed at reducing greenhouse intensity within NSW and the ACT.

New Zealand has ratified the Kyoto Protocol. Within the NZ framework, JI projects are approved under the Projects to Reduce Emissions programme. A domestic initiative, Negotiated Greenhouse Agreements, aligns improvements in greenhouse intensity with carbon tax concessions.

Partner with DNV for:

• Clean Development Mechanism projects. These are emissions reduction projects where an industrialised country invests in an emissions reduction project in a developing country. We provide a project validation or verification/certification as required by the Kyoto Protocol. In particular, this includes CDM projects initiated by project developers in Australia and New Zealand but hosted in a developing (non-Annex I) country.

• Joint Implementation projects. These are emissions reduction projects where one industrialised country invests in another industrialised country. Both countries must be Kyoto Protocol signatory states. We provide project verification as required by the Kyoto Protocol. In particular, this includes determination, verification, certification and milestone audits of PRE projects in New Zealand.

• Greenhouse Friendly. Greenhouse Friendly is a unique and innovative approach enabling consumers to take personal action to reduce the climate impact of their own activities. Essentially, the initiative enables the purchase of products and services that have had their lifecycle greenhouse emissions offset. We support the entry into the initiative of products, services and offset projects.

• NSW Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme. This scheme reduces the intensity of greenhouse emissions in NSW and the ACT. We support a full range of third-party audit services associated with the Scheme.

• NZ Negotiated Greenhouse Agreements. A company with a NZ NGA has made a commitment ot achieve World's Best Practice emissisions performance by 2012. We provide audits of the initial inventory, validation of the WBP study and audit of milestone achievements.

• Audit and verification of inventories and voluntary abatement schemes. Often, organisations want greenhouse inventories and abatement projects audited and verified for internal compliance and public reporting purposes. Our accreditations and audit panel memberships provide DNV with the public credibility and a clear statement of our competence to complete a diverse range of voluntary audit activities.

• General advice and information. It is not unusual for an organisation to have a desire to under take some form of climate change initiative, but not to have a clear concept of the range of opportunities. Notably, there are many opportunities for Australian and New Zealand organisations to engage in CDM and JI project activities offshore. DNV does not develop projects, but we can provide you with the benefit of our global experience to support your own decision making.
  

DNV has specialised in delivering independent, third party services for climate change activities, and has over the last six years been engaged in a number of diverse validation, verification, and certification activities. You can find a downloadable list of selected project references under "related info" on the right.

Accreditation
DNV has developed methodologies to secure transparent, reliable and credible audit results, and we are accredited under programmes in many different locations. We became accredited by UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) as an operating entity under the Clean Development Mechanism in March 2004. Our CDM accreditation presently covers both validation and verification/certification for most scopes except forestry. It also entitles DNV to undertake JI project audits. In Australia, DNV is a member of the NSW Greenhouse Gas Scheme audit panel for all scopes and activities, and is a member of the NZ panel for validation of NGA World's Best Practice Studies. We currently act as the Programme Administrator for the Greenhouse Friendly Initiative.