ISO 14064 Verification: Process, Timeline, and Cost in Saudi Arabia

Saudi organizations increasingly need ISO 14064 greenhouse gas (GHG) verification, driven by CBAM exposure, Tadawul ESG disclosure expectations, giga-project supply chain requirements, and voluntary carbon market participation. This guide answers the questions organizations most commonly ask before starting the process.

Standard overview

What Is ISO 14064, Exactly?

ISO 14064 is a three-part international standard for GHG accounting and verification:

ISO 14064-1

Organization-level GHG inventories — quantifying and reporting emissions and removals.

Inventory

ISO 14064-2

Project-level GHG reductions and removal enhancements.

Projects

ISO 14064-3

Requirements for verifying and validating GHG statements — the part relevant to third-party verification.

Verification ★

Verification is performed under ISO 14065 (requirements for GHG validation and verification bodies) and ISO 17029 (general principles for validation and verification bodies), which govern the competence and impartiality of the verifier, not the reporting organization.

Delivery methodology

What Does the Verification Process Involve?

Scoping and boundary-setting

Defining organizational boundaries (equity share, financial control, or operational control) and the reporting period.

Data collection and GHG inventory compilation

Gathering activity data (fuel use, electricity consumption, process emissions, etc.) across Scope 1, 2, and relevant Scope 3 categories.

Internal quality review

Checking data against IPCC Tier 1/2/3 methodologies and applicable emission factors (e.g., GWP values from IPCC AR6).

Verification engagement

An accredited third-party verifier reviews the GHG statement, tests the underlying data and methodology, and assesses material misstatement risk, culminating in a verification opinion (reasonable or limited assurance).

Verification statement issuance

A formal, dated statement confirming the GHG inventory conforms to the stated criteria.

Timeline

How Long Does It Take?

Scope

Typical duration

Simple, single-facility inventory

6 – 10 weeks

Multi-facility / multi-site organizations

10 – 16 weeks

First-time verification

Typically longer

The single biggest driver of delay is not the verification engagement itself but incomplete or poorly organized activity data on the client side — organizations that maintain ongoing data logs move through verification substantially faster than those compiling records retroactively.

Cost factors

What Determines Cost?

Number of facilities/sites in scopeMore facilities mean more data to verify and potentially more site visits.

Assurance levelLimited assurance is generally less costly than reasonable assurance.

Data quality and system maturityPoor data increases the verifier’s testing burden significantly.

Sector complexityProcess emissions in cement, steel, or chemicals require more technical effort than office-based Scope 1/2.

First-time vs. repeat verificationFirst-time engagements typically cost more due to boundary-setting and methodology development work.

Organizations should budget for both the verification engagement itself and the preparatory GHG inventory development, if this has not already been built internally.

Regulatory clarity

Does ISO 14064 Verification Satisfy CBAM Requirements?

Not automatically — CBAM has its own methodology under EU Implementing Regulation 2023/1773. However, an organization with an existing ISO 14064-aligned inventory and verification history is significantly better positioned to produce a CBAM-compliant declaration, since data collection, boundary definitions, and quality-assurance processes largely overlap.

Who it’s for

Is ISO 14064 Verification Mandatory in Saudi Arabia?

Not universally mandatory — but increasingly a de facto requirement in specific contexts:

Giga-project supply chain

Suppliers to giga-projects

NEOM, Red Sea Global, Qiddiya, and Diriyah Gate all impose sustainability readiness requirements on their vendor lists.

CBAM exposure

CBAM-covered exporters

Exporters of aluminium, steel, cement, and fertilizers needing credible, defensible emissions data for EU certification.

Capital markets

Tadawul-listed companies

Companies facing growing ESG disclosure expectations from investors and the Saudi Exchange.

Voluntary markets

Carbon markets & SBTi

Organizations participating in voluntary carbon markets or seeking Science Based Targets initiative alignment.

Pre-engagement checklist

What Should an Organization Prepare Before Engaging a Verifier?

A defined organizational and reporting boundary

At least one full reporting period of activity data (energy, fuel, process data)

Internal ownership of the GHG inventory — a named data owner, not an ad hoc effort

Awareness of which assurance level is required by the requesting party (client, regulator, or voluntary scheme)

Ready to start your ISO 14064 verification?

VerdeVista supports Saudi organizations through the full GHG accounting and verification lifecycle — from initial inventory development through ISO 14064 verification readiness and CBAM compliance advisory.

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