ISO 17029

Conformity assessment — General principles and requirements for validation and verification bodies

ISO/IEC 17029

ISO/IEC 17029 establishes the general principles and requirements for the competence, impartiality, and consistency of the conformity assessment work conducted by validation and verification bodies (VVBs). Published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in the ISO 17000 conformity assessment family, ISO/IEC 17029 plays a critical role in ensuring that evaluations and verifications are carried out in a consistent and effective manner.

While the standard is sector-neutral (applying to validation and verification bodies operating in any field) its primary application in the voluntary carbon market is as the overarching framework governing VVBs that audit and certify carbon projects.

Key Principles of ISO/IEC 17029

The standard is based on several fundamental principles that guide its implementation, including:

• Impartiality: Assessors must identify and mitigate any conflicts of interest to ensure objective assessments.

• Competence: Assessors are required to have the necessary skills and technical expertise for the scope of the validation and verification.

• Confidentiality: Assessors must safeguard sensitive information obtained during validation or verification and protect it from unauthorized disclosure.

• Openness: Assessors must operate transparently, providing clear information about their processes and decision-making criteria.

• Responsibility: Assessors are accountable for their decisions and must ensure conclusions are evidence-based and properly documented.

• Responsiveness: Assessors must have procedures in place to receive, evaluate, and resolve complaints and appeals in a timely and impartial manner.

• Transparency: Assessors must establish clear reporting and record-keeping requirements to ensure traceability and accountability.