Accredia Clarifies Environmental Certifications in Italy

The panorama of environmental certifications in Italy is enriched with a new nuance thanks to Accredia circular 40/2024.

The Italian accreditation body Accredia has in fact introduced a fundamental distinction between certificates and opinions, in the specific context of conformity assessments on environmental claims and related third-party certifications. Such as GHG inventories and carbon footprints that companies request from external assessment bodies.

Until recently, it was common to use the term “certified” to attest to the truthfulness of a company’s environmental declarations. However, Accredia has clarified that this term is inappropriate. Verification and validation activities on environmental claims , in fact, do not confer continuous compliance over time, as occurs for management systems certified according to standards such as ISO 14001.

Instead of the certificate, “verification opinions” and “validation opinions” come into play, more precise terms and in line with the international standard ISO 14065:2020. These opinions represent a snapshot of a specific situation, verifying the correctness of the data declared by the company at a given time.

Accredia: Regulatory coherence and comparability

The importance of Accredia’s innovation lies in its ability to meet the growing needs for transparency and reliability required by stakeholders. By using precise terminology aligned with international standards, companies can communicate their environmental commitments more effectively and credibly to investors, customers and regulators.

This not only strengthens corporate reputation, but also facilitates access to new markets and participation in international tenders, where sustainability is increasingly an evaluation criterion.

Operational implications for companies

The transition from certificates to verification and validation opinions has a number of operational implications for companies. First, it creates a more dynamic and future-oriented framework, in which environmental assessments do not represent a static point of arrival, but a snapshot of a constantly evolving process. Second, it strengthens the concept of corporate responsibility, as companies will have to constantly demonstrate the maintenance of their environmental objectives through subsequent assessments.

On a practical level, companies will have to adopt more rigorous and traceable environmental management systems, capable of supporting verification and validation activities. Furthermore, it will be essential to invest in the training of personnel involved in environmental reporting processes, in order to guarantee the correctness and reliability of the data.

__

(Featured image by Florida-Guidebook.com via Unsplash)

DISCLAIMER: This article was written by a third party contributor and does not reflect the opinion of Born2Invest, its management, staff or its associates. Please review our disclaimer for more information.

This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “become,” “plan,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures.

First published in  ESG NEWS. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

Although we made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translations, some parts may be incorrect. Born2Invest assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or ambiguities in the translations provided on this website. Any person or entity relying on translated content does so at their own risk. Born2Invest is not responsible for losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy or reliability of translated information. If you wish to report an error or inaccuracy in the translation, we encourage you to contact us