Commentary & Analysis

ISO Graphic Technology Committee Seeks Carbon Footprinting Experts

By Adam Dewitz
Published: November 18, 2009

The ISO Technical Committee overseeing graphic technology standards (ISO TC 130) has put out a call for experts for a new task force investigating Carbon footprinting in the printing and publishing industry. The task force was formed at a meeting held on October 26th in Beijing.

The task force will be lead by Laurel Brunner, Managing Director at Digital Dots Limited in the United Kingdom and is charged with investigating the appropriateness and extent of a possible new work item in the area of carbon footprint issues in printing:

It is proposed to develop a common framework, based on PAS 2050 and ISO 14067. This framework would provide guidance and implementation models for carbon calculation and environmental impact measurements, specific to print media products and universally applicable.

This work entails cooperation with ISO TC 207, the committee responsible for environmental management standards such as ISO 14001 and ISO 14067. This cooperation will ensure that ISO/TC 207’s work on ISO 14067 is understood by ISO/TC 130. There is no industry-specific work underway in ISO/TC 207 to develop sector specific standards implementations of ISO 1467. This may be a barrier to its rapid and ISO/TC 130 N 1573 widespread adoption and for this reason ISO/TC 207 is willing to cooperate with ISO/TC 130. Work on a carbon calculation and environmental impact standard for printing and publishing, would therefore be harmonised with ISO 14067.

ISO/TC 130 has appointed Laurel Brunner, UK as liaison officer to ISO/TC 207 (Resolution 372).
In order to write a framework for this new standard, a dedicated Task Force is being created. The Task Force will draw on ISO/TC 130 members and specialists at local level, via their national mirror committees. These specialists will be knowledgeable about print processes and of carbon footprinting and environmental management.

According to the TC130 notice, “the printing and publishing industries, sectors especially vulnerable to charges of environmental hostility, a huge number of tools for measuring the impact of print production and products has proliferated. However these carbon calculators do not consistently follow a standard method or use a common metrology. There is also no universal means of measuring or sharing carbon footprinting data for media products. Consistent process measurement, data capture and description, and data interchange, relating to the carbon footprint and environmental impact of print media products requires a common model. Such a model provides a basis for standardised impact values for print buyers and consumers.”

If you're interested in participating you should contact Debbie Orf Assistant Director, Standards Programs at NPES by email at dorf@npes.org pr by phone at 703-264-7200, ext. 258. If you're outside the US you will need to contact your local TC 130 representative.