Development of the KENAS ISO/IEC 17029 Validation & Verification Accreditation Scheme, ICAO CORSIA Scope
Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS) has recently completed the development and operationalization of the validation and verification accreditation scheme under the ISO/IEC 17029 requirements. This standard is an umbrella for programs requiring confirmation of any kind of historical information (verification) or forecast information (validation). In Kenya, this initiative casts its focus on the boundless horizons of various economic sectors for example in the aviation and agriculture sectors. This ushers in a new era of accreditation dedicated to the validation and verification of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is the first global market-based scheme that applies to a sector. It complements other aviation in-sector emission reduction efforts such as technological innovations, operational improvements, and sustainable aviation fuels to meet the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) aspirational goal of carbon-neutral growth. The scope of accreditation of ICAO CORSIA is offered under the KENAS Validation and Verification accreditation scheme.
In a remarkable achievement, KENAS has successfully accredited one Validation and Verification Body (VVB) within this accreditation scheme making it the first VVB to be accredited to ISO/IEC 17029 for the ICAO CORSIA scope in Africa. This fete also makes KENAS the first Accreditation Body (AB) in Africa to accredit a VVB for the ICAO CORSIA scope.
The development of the KENAS Validation and Verification accreditation scheme came through as a result of the invaluable support of the European Union through the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) which financed a technical cooperation arrangement. The overall objective of EASA is to ensure the highest common level of aviation safety and environmental protection worldwide through mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from the civil aviation sector.
