Call for Applications: Open Seats on Emissions Standard Committee in the Producer, Environmentalist and General Interest Category

May 25, 2010 2:00 PM ET

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) Madison, WI -  May 25, 2010 - Leonardo Academy announces a call for applications for three open seats on the LEO-5000 Emissions Inventories, Offsets and Reduction Credits Standard Committee. Any individual or representative of an entity that produces or creates emissions, inventories its emissions, offset its emissions, reduces or sequesters emissions or creates emissions offsets or reduction credits is encouraged to apply.  Likewise, representatives of environmental and governmental organizations, consumer groups, labor groups and academia are all welcomed to submit an application for committee membership.

The LEO-5000 Standards Committee has been charged with developing a comprehensive framework and common set of sustainability metrics that (1) Provide transparent reporting of the scope of emissions sources being addressed and how emissions, sequestration and offsets are calculated, which will help companies and consumers to make sense of claims made by businesses about their emission reduction and offset achievement, (2) Avoid the traditional one-dimensional approach of targeting single emissions by addressing the full range of emissions types, including those that negatively affect climate and human health, and (3) Fill in the gap left by current climate emissions standards by addressing existing forests.

The current Standards Committee consists of a diverse, experienced membership representing a wide range of perspectives towards creating a more inclusive methodology to track emission inventories, offsets and reduction credits. The Committee’s first meeting was held on May 19, 2010 and covered both scientific and process-related questions that are anticipated to be encountered during the course of this standard’s development. The Committee also agreed on a number of positive actions, including the recognition of the Leonardo Academy Draft Standard for Trial Use for Emissions Inventories, Offsets, and Reduction Credits as the primary working document for future standards development deliberations.

“Leonardo Academy is extremely pleased that such a varied and knowledgeable group of individuals have volunteered to lead the development of this standard,” said Michael Arny, President of Leonardo Academy and Chair of the LEO-5000 Standards Committee. “Members of the Committee are very well versed with sustainability initiatives. We look forward to the Committee’s guidance as we discuss and build consensus on the many issues that need to be addressed to move the standard development process forward.”

Opportunities for Participation
Interested parties can: (1) Apply for membership on the standard development committee, (2) Apply to be an observer of the standard development process, (3) Sign up to pilot test the draft standard, (4) Sign up to use the standard once it is approved as an American National Standard, and (5) Make a charitable donation to support the development of the standard.

About Leonardo Academy
Leonardo Academy is a charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing sustainability and environmental stewardship. Leonardo Academy develops innovative tools that leverage the competitive market so both buyers and sellers can drive increased sustainability and create opportunities that promote a thriving planet and transform the way we live. Leonardo Academy helps companies, organizations, families and individuals advance sustainability with overall sustainability assessments and strategies, LEED implementation and certification for buildings, emissions inventories and reduction and offset strategies, and sustainability training.

About Leonardo Academy Standards Development
Leonardo Academy is developing five Leonardo Academy ANSI sustainability standards, which address emissions, sustainable gaming, sustainable organizations, sustainable vehicles and sustainable events. Leonardo Academy is also providing ANSI process support for two standards being developed by Scientific Certification Systems: the Sustainable Agriculture standard (SCS-001) and the Life-Cycle Impact and Profile Declarations standard (SCS-002). Learn more about these standards, or sign up to follow each of these standard development processes, on the Leonardo Academy web site at:  http://www.leonardoacademy.org/programs/standards.html.

Contact Information
John Rodgers
Sustainability Standards Development
Leonardo Academy, Inc.
(608) 280-0255
jrodgers@leonardoacademy.org

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