Earth Day 2014: Standards and Conformance Help Support a Healthier Planet

Each year on April 22, individuals and organizations around the world celebrate Earth Day, an event dedicated to highlighting the importance of environmental issues. The theme of this year's Earth Day - Green Cities - draws special attention to the role played by cities and urban areas in advancing environmental objectives and sustainability. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is proud to honor Earth Day 2014 through its ongoing efforts to safeguard the environment and bolster smart, sustainable commerce via programs and initiatives related to standardization and conformance.

In recent years, the smart cities movement has begun to examine ways to leverage the growth of information and communications technologies (ICTs) - including sensors, smart phones, and intelligent transport systems - to support effective, environmentally sustainable urban growth. To further these efforts, ANSI convened a workshop in November 2013 to examine the role of standardization in achieving the promise of smart and sustainable cities [see related story]. The event's full workshop report - which includes a list of standardization priority areas, and information about ongoing corporate and government initiatives in this sector - is available online.

More effective and efficient energy use allows for environmentally friendly industrial and economic growth. ANSI supports energy management activities by accrediting certification bodies through the Superior Energy Performance (SEP) program, which is operated jointly by ANSI and ANAB, the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board. SEP provides facilities that are ISO 50001:2011 certified with a roadmap for achieving ongoing energy performance gains without sacrificing financial competitiveness. For more information about ANSI Accreditation Services, visit www.ansi.org/accreditation.

As part of its work related to conformance, ANSI also accredits third-party bodies working to validate and verify GHG emission assertions for a broad spectrum of industries. For information about ANSI's accreditation program for GHG emissions verification and validation, visit the program website.

In addition, ANSI's Energy Efficiency Standardization Coordination Collaborative (EESCC), a cross-sector, neutral forum for broad-based coordination among standards-related energy efficiency activities, is currently working to develop a standardization roadmap to advance energy efficiency in the built environment. Slated for publication in the summer of 2014, the EESCC Roadmap will provide a national framework for action and coordination on energy efficiency standardization, charting more than 100 actionable recommendations to advance five areas of focus:

• Building energy and water assessment and performance standards
• System integration and systems communications
• Building energy rating, labeling, and simulation
• Evaluation, measurement, and verification (EM&V)
• Workforce credentialing

For more information about the EESCC, send an email to [email protected] or visit the EESCC web site at www.ansi.org/eescc.

While Earth Day only comes once a year, ANSI works to have a positive environmental impact all year long. For more information on this year's celebration of Earth Day, visit www.earthday.org.