Verify industrial greenhouse gas emissions
Last updated on February 26, 2025Industrial operations in B.C. must meet strict verification requirements for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance with prescribed methodologies.
Verification obligations
Verification requirements apply to both:
- Participants of the B.C. Output-Based Pricing System (B.C. OBPS), who must verify emissions and compliance reports under stringent provincial standards
- Non-regulated operations emitting 25,000 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) or more annually, as mandated by the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act (GGIRCA)
B.C. OBPS participants
Verification is mandatory for all operations regulated under the B.C. OBPS, including opted-in participants and new entrants. As part of the Annual Report, these operations must have their emission and compliance report verified by an accredited third-party verification body. The obligation for opted-in operations persists unless the operation formally opts out of the B.C. OBPS.
All verification statements for B.C. OBPS participants must follow the B.C. OBPS Annual Report Verification Statement Template (DOCX, 196KB).
For further details, please review the B.C. OBPS Program and Reporting Guidance (PDF, 1MB).
Reporting operations not in the B.C. OBPS
Reporting operations that are not regulated operations that emit 25,000 tonnes CO2e or more annually must verify their annual emissions report under GGIRCA.
Verification must continue for three consecutive reporting cycles after emissions fall below 25,000 tonnes CO2e. After this period, verification is no longer required, provided emissions consistently remain below the threshold. Please refer to section 27 of the Greenhouse Gas Emission Reporting Regulation (GGERR) for additional information.
All verification statements for reporting operations under GGIRCA must follow the Verification Statement Template for reporting operations not eligible for the B.C. OBPS (DOCX, 152KB).
Guidelines for verification
Verification bodies should refer to GGIRCA, GGERR and B.C. OBPS for comprehensive details on verification requirements. The points below highlight key aspects that verification bodies should pay close attention to during the verification process.
Submission process
Verification must be performed by accredited third-party verifiers that:
- Review annual reports
- Conduct site visits when necessary
- Ensure compliance with prescribed standards
Upon completing the verification process, the verifiers must prepare the verification statements using the above templates.
Operators must submit the completed statements through the B.C. Industrial Emissions Reporting System.
Submission deadline
Verification statements must be submitted by May 31 annually, covering emissions from the previous reporting year.
|
Element |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Verification statement |
The verification statement is a written declaration by a verification body that attests to the veracity of the submitted reports from operators and to whether the report conforms to the requirements of GGIRCA and GGERR. It must be signed by the lead verifier and by an independent peer reviewer not involved in the verification process (sections 31, 33, 38 and 39 of GGERR). |
|
Materiality threshold |
Verification requires the confirmation that the assertions made in the emission reports are 'materially correct.' This means that any deviations in the reported data must fall within an acceptable margin of error, referred to as a materiality threshold. The verification body must ensure that deviations do not compromise the integrity of the report or its compliance with the regulation (sections 31 and 38 of GGERR). |
|
Verification process |
The verification process must include a review of relevant records, a risk assessment, a verification plan (including a sampling plan), at least one site visit, an evaluation of the quantification of emissions quantification and production against regulatory requirements, and an assessment of the sources and magnitude of potential errors (section 30(2) of GGERR). |
|
Accreditation standards |
Verification must comply with the international standard, ISO 14064-3, and be performed by verification bodies accredited under ISO 14065 through a program developed under ISO 17011. Verification bodies must be accredited by a member of the International Accreditation Forum. For operations in B.C., verification bodies must also hold accreditation from either the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) or the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Operators are encouraged to consult the directories of accredited verification bodies to ensure the verification body has the appropriate scope for GHG validation and verification. These directories include the SCC Accredited Organizations and the ANSI National Accreditation Board Greenhouse Gas Validation and Verification Bodies. |
|
Threat to independence or conflict of interest |
Verification bodies must maintain independence from both the operation being verified and the Province to ensure objectivity and impartiality. Each verification statement must include a conflict-of-interest report, as outlined in the current verification statement template (sections 33 and 41 of GGERR). |
|
Verification outcome |
Reporting and regulated operations are responsible for monitoring and quantifying their emissions, maintaining their records and preparing their emission report such that a verification body can provide, with reasonable assurance, a positive and unqualified verification statement (sections 31 and 38 of GGERR). Statements may be verified as 'unmodified,' 'modified,' 'adverse' or 'disclaimed.' An 'unmodified' statement confirms the report is materially accurate and fully compliant with regulations. A 'modified' statement indicates the report is materially correct, but not fully prepared or quantified as required. An 'adverse' statement means the report is materially incorrect and non-compliant. A 'disclaimed' statement reflects insufficient evidence to assess the report's accuracy. |
| Verification of supplementary and corrected reports |
Verification is required for supplementary and corrected reports based on specific conditions, including materiality thresholds, changes in reported emissions or if ordered by the director under GGIRCA. For supplementary reports, verification depends on whether emissions exceed defined thresholds for total or attributable emissions. For corrected reports, verification is required if emissions surpass certain limits or as directed by the regulator (sections 29 and 36 of GGERR). Verification bodies must use the verification statement templates for supplementary or corrected reports, but need to complete only the sections relevant to the updates or corrections. |