forward earth’s calculator is TÜV certified - what does that mean?

Summary

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Forward earth’s Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) solution has been certified by TÜV Rheinland in accordance with the GHG Protocol. TÜV Rheinland AG is an internationally active testing service provider based in Cologne. The certification process consisted of a comprehensive assessment of the software itself, the technical documentation, and the team’s expertise.

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We are proud to announce that the inspection verified that our methodology is in line with the requirements of the GHG protocol. We believe that companies looking for a carbon management solution they can trust should make sure it has been independently verified by a competent authority such as TÜV.

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What does TÜV certification mean?

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The term TÜV (Technischer Überwachungsverein, English: Technical Inspection Association) refers to a group of independent service companies from Germany and Austria that specialize in testing, inspecting and certifying technical systems and services. Companies hire TÜV to perform independent verifications. Each certification has an expiration date, meaning that companies need to undergo a recertification to be able to continue advertising it.

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How are carbon management solutions certified?

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TÜV certifications are typically performed using a relevant national or international standard. For corporate carbon footprints, the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1 are most commonly used. 

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The two standards are very similar and sometimes used in conjunction. While ISO 14064 focuses on setting minimum requirements, the GHG protocol also includes comprehensive guidance. Forward earth chose to be certified in accordance with the GHG Protocol as the most widely used standard globally. For example, the GHG protocol is the basis for reporting according to regulations and standards such as CSRD, SEC Climate-Related Disclosures, and IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards.

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The goal of a certification is to verify that all requirements made by the standard are met and applied without error. The GHG Protocol defines which greenhouse gas emissions need to be included in a corporate carbon footprint, how data and data quality are handled, and what basic principles need to be followed. At the end of a study, a report needs to be compiled which contains information about the company, the results of the calculation and contextual information on things such as data sources, assumptions and changes of emissions over time. In order to be certified, a carbon management solution needs to enable its users to complete these steps.

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To give a concrete example of methodological requirements, emissions from electricity need to be reported as “Scope 2” using both the market-based and the location-based method. These are hierarchies that define which calculation methodology needs to be used. Whatever data a user enters, forward earth’s software calculates electricity emissions in such a way that these requirements are met.

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What was the process for forward earth’s TÜV certification?

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The TÜV certification of our carbon management solution consisted of several parts:

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(1) We submitted a technical documentation of our software that covered our calculation methodology, data sources, the user interface, technical architecture as well as an explanation of our approach which was reviewed by TÜV.

(2) TÜV was provided access to our software and performed independent testing.

(3) We calculated the CCF of a company and created a report in accordance with the GHG Protocol to be used as an example

(4) TÜV verified the expertise of our project team to ensure we have the skills and experience to build a reliable and secure carbon management tool. 

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All submitted documents were updated based on the feedback received by TÜV. It’s worthwhile mentioning that there were no errors in our software which had to be fixed. The review is an iterative process which goes on until all points have been resolved. During a handful of meetings throughout the certification process, we answered questions about our software and discussed feedback. In the end, we received our certification.

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Conclusion

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A TÜV certification is a great way to ensure the reliability of a carbon management solution. The independent certification process applying an international standard ensures transparency and provides trust.

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