Model for a global environmental technology verification scheme - manuscript

1. Current activities and proposed future directions leading to mutual recognition of ETV
Christian Grøn, DHI and DANETV
How ETV in developed countries responds to environmental
challenges; current activities and proposed future directions
leading to mutual recognition of ETV
Christian Grøn, DHI and DANETV, Hørsholm, Denmark
Environmental technology verification, ETV, is a form of third party assessment
providing quality assured documentation of relevant performance for innovative
environmental technologies or applications. ETV is intended to support technology
vendors in accessing the markets with their new technologies, technology buyers in
taking the risk with new technologies and authorities in accepting them. If the full
benefits of ETV are to be achieved, and the costs and delays in market introduction
kept at a minimum, it is essential that ETV done under one verification scheme is
accepted by other ETV schemes. Currently, a number of ETV schemes exist and
more are being introduced, see Figure 1.
Figure 1: Existing ETV schemes with number of verifications done and new ETV
initiatives inserted
400
100
150
50
China
Philippines
Singapore
35 12
VERA
10
4th INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION (ETV) FORUM
November 11-12, 2009, Manila, Philippines

2. Current activities and proposed future directions leading to mutual recognition of ETV
Christian Grøn, DHI and DANETV
Whereas the growing number of ETV schemes may be seen as recognition of the
need for ETV and accordingly as a success for the principles behind, it may
ultimately jeopardize the idea of:
Verified once, verified everywhere
Towards mutual recognition
It is therefore essential for achieving the overall objective of faster use of smarter
environmental technologies, that an internationalization process of ETV towards
coordination, cooperation and ultimately mutual recognition is initiated. A process
from national and regional ETV schemes over cooperating schemes to full mutual
recognition between ETV schemes is illustrated in Figure 2.
Figure 2: An example of development process from national/regional to global
ETV
National and
regional Cooperating ETV Global ETV
verification schemes scheme
schemes
• -2010 • 2011-2015? • 2015? –
• Development phase • Coordination and • Harmonized, standard
• Individual organization cooperation phase based phase
and operation models • Mechanisms for • One framework accepted
developed cooperation and joint globally with full mutual
• Protocols established protocols developed recognition
• ETV role in innovation • ETV role in global • ETV a major factor in
emerging innovation expanded promoting innovative
technologies through
proof of performance
ETV development
Whereas the ETV schemes have been operating for 10-15 years in the US and
Canada, efforts are currently made to establish a broad European ETV scheme
under the Commission of the European Union (EU). Furthermore, an ETV scheme is
currently being established for agricultural environmental technologies based in
Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands: Verification of Environmental Technologies
4th INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION (ETV) FORUM
November 11-12, 2009, Manila, Philippines

3. Current activities and proposed future directions leading to mutual recognition of ETV
Christian Grøn, DHI and DANETV
for Agricultural Production (VERA). ETV schemes have been established and are
developing fast in Japan and South Korea, and initiatives are taken in the Philippines,
Singapore, China and the Nordic, European countries Nordtest ETV: NTETV).
In essence, these schemes work according to similar principles towards a common
goal: promotion of environmental technologies through performance documentation,
but with different organizations, processes of work and applying different
terminologies.
ETV coordination and cooperation
If a fully recognized global ETV regime shall be possible, it requires development of a
coordinating organization (ensuring harmonized performance parameters for verified
applications), involvement of the standardization organizations (providing an
environmental technology verification standard) and participation of conformity
assessment bodies (oversight with verification and tests bodies, and with analytical
laboratories) and not the least dedicated cooperation between existing ETV
schemes.
Accordingly, cooperation has been established between existing and emerging ETV
schemes in the form of the International Working Group – Environmental Technology
Verification (IWG – ETV). Also, the EU has funded a project, AdvanceETV, aiming at
supporting the international cooperation on ETV.
A key activity in this phase is to promote common understanding of required
organization, processes of work and terminologies among the ETV schemes of the
world.
Finally, practical cooperation on verifications has been initiated, and this is also
enhanced through e.g. AdvanceETV. The verification cooperation may have the form
of repetition, joint verification and co-verification, see Figure 3.
Evidently, the only way to avoid repetition of verification with the derived costs,
delays and trade barriers is to move from requiring verification repeated under each
4th INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION (ETV) FORUM
November 11-12, 2009, Manila, Philippines

4. Current activities and proposed future directions leading to mutual recognition of ETV
Christian Grøn, DHI and DANETV
verification scheme over cooperation forms such as joint and co-verification to full
mutual recognition of verification done under one scheme by all other schemes.
Figure 3: Repetition, joint verification, co-verification and mutual recognition of
verification
Simple verification cooperation Joint verification
Program/body 1 Program/body 2 Program/body 1 Program/body 2
Plan Plan
Verification activities
Verification activities
Test activities
Test activities
Verificate/statement
Verificate/statement
Co-verification Mutual recognition of verification
Program/body 1 Program/body 2 Program/body 1 Program/body 2
Plan Standard accept
Plan
Verification activities
Verification activities
Test activities
Test activities
Verificate/statement
Verificate/statement
Recognition
Harmonized ETV
A suggestion for an organization of a global, harmonized ETV scheme is shown in
Figure 4, combining elements from ETV, standardization and conformity assessment.
The suggested organization combines the experiences and competences from
current ETV schemes with the tools of conformity assessment (standardization and
accreditation) under an umbrella of coordination by the IWG and maintaining the
close cooperation with the national and regional interests.
4th INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION (ETV) FORUM
November 11-12, 2009, Manila, Philippines

5. Current activities and proposed future directions leading to mutual recognition of ETV
Christian Grøn, DHI and DANETV
Figure 4: Suggestion for organization of a global, harmonized ETV scheme
IWG coordination
Government or National or regional
regional community ETV program
May be one or more bodies
Verification Analytical
Test body
body laboratory
Standardiza-
tion orga-
Methods for verification, Accreditation according to
nizations
test and analysis methods for verification,
test and/or analysis
Accreditation
bodies
EA/IAF/ILAC
Apply smarter technologies faster
With a global, harmonized ETV scheme, technology vendors can accelerate global
market introduction of innovative technologies through credible performance
documentation, technology buyers can choose innovative technologies while
minimizing the associated risks caused to lack of proof of performance and
regulators can accept new solutions with confidence in the claimed benefits.
Selected references
DANETV: www.etv-denmark.com
NOWATECH: www.etvnord.org
US EPA ETV: www.epa.gov/etv
ETV Canada: www.etvcanada.com
EU ETV: www.eu-etv-strategy.eu
4th INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION (ETV) FORUM
November 11-12, 2009, Manila, Philippines