Frequently Asked Questions
For Frequently Asked Questions Regarding EP(GHG) Personnel Certification click here
What are the professional programs?
The professional programs are a series of standards, codes, definitions and other resources designed to assist in the professionalization of GHG measurement, management and verification.
Why is the GHG Management Institute undertaking a professional programs initiative?
Recognizing a gap in the marketplace for professional services and support, the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute launched its professional programs initiative. This scheme builds on the Institute’s established expertise, network and market standing with the overarching aim of professionalizing the industry.
A complementary service to the Institute’s industry-leading training programs, GHGMI’s professional programs are structured to support individual professional development and to provide clarity and quality assurance to the organizations and institutions that make up the market, as well as the public at large.
Why a Code of Conduct for GHG professionals?
A code of professional conduct is a standard foundational document for professional organizations across a multitude of sectors. Mandating adherence to a central code of conduct as a prerequisite for membership serves as a powerful unifying force, signposting key tenets of professional practice and outlining participation requirements and enforcement mechanisms.
In a field as nascent and developmentally delicate as GHG management, the utmost ethical conduct is paramount. The Institute’s Code of Conduct is a system-wide initiative squarely aimed at the ethical dimension of GHG measurement and verification. When fully defined the Code of Conduct will address a number of professional policies all reliant on professional judgment informed by scrupulous ethics.
Why personnel certification for GHG professionals?
Personnel certification for GHG practitioners provides:
- a clear professional path for career-minded individuals to enter the field, thereby increasing the supply of personnel
- greater clarity for GHG verification firms and other service providers regarding their human resource decisions
- an added layer of quality assurance for regulators and program administrators, with the guarantee of a minimum level of competency and ethical practice amongst practitioners
- a complementary system of oversight focused on the individuals performing GHG work
How can I get involved in the Institute’s professional programs?
We appreciate your interest in the Institute’s professional programs. There are a number of opportunities in which to involve yourself in this initiative. For long-serving world-class experts, we are inviting applications to serve on the personnel certification committee (below). For sectoral specialists, the committee will be equipped with the mandate to form narrow sector-specific working groups. For other practitioners in the industry, the Institute’s membership platform offers a forum to discuss, share and network around the issue of competency in the industry, how it impacts business and what the appropriate measures to address the issue are. And for those just entering the field, the Institute’s industry-leading e-learning training offers an opportunity to develop the skills essential to excel in GHG management.
How will the Institute select individuals for the personnel certification committee?
The Institute is collecting CVs and brief statements from parties interested in participating in the personnel certification committee. In the interest of establishing sufficiently robust standards and to take advantage of the wealth of available industry experience, GHGMI will select applicants with an eye towards depth and breadth of experience. As such, we encourage experienced GHG practitioners from all sectoral and geographic backgrounds to apply, though given the initial focus we are particularly interested in applicants with an intimate familiarity with GHG verification.
Who is the GHG Management Institute to develop personnel certification for the GHG professionals?
The Institute’s interest in personnel certification is an extension of its educational programming. GHGMI is uniquely a product of its industry, deeply rooted in the early days of this emerging field and founded on the principles of sharing this previously arcane knowledge, building ethical competent human resource capacity and networking GHG experts.
The Institute has an impressive track record of undertaking industry-leading programmatic work in support of climate policy’s preeminent institutions and regulatory bodies, and is also the beneficiary of dynamic partnerships with top NGO and private sector parties.
As a grassroots, industry-supported initiative, the Institute is impeccably suited to take on the challenges manifest in providing personnel certification for this complex field.
Who will the Institute’s professional programs serve?
The Institute’s professional programs are designed to serve the quickly growing GHG practitioner community, expediting the transition to a GHG professional class. In addition to supporting the individuals undertaking GHG work, the professional programs are also designed to support industry participants at all levels including firms, organizations and institutions. And ultimately in supporting the above, GHGMI is aiding the environment, as rigorous competency standards and personnel certification provide an essential safeguard to the environmental integrity of climate policies by ensuring the quality of the data that underpin them.
Who is involved in the development of the Institute’s professional programs?
Stelios Pesmajoglou directs the Institute’s professional programs with support from Tim Stumhofer and the GHGMI staff, faculty and community.
What is the timeline for the Institute’s personnel certification?
For the development of the GHGMI Professional Certification Programs, the following activities and timeline will be followed:
- Establishment of the Committee on Professional Competency Requirements – June 2010
- Development of competency requirements for GHG management – Second half of 2010
- Establishment of the GHGMI Professional Certification Program for GHG Management – Early 2011
- Development of competency requirements for other areas – 2011 (exact schedule to be determined)
