A smart city uses data to improve how it operates and shares information, to provide a better quality of life to its citizens. With strong data, decision makers can have the information they need to make solid investments in their services, focusing on the areas that need it most. Economic development and strategic planning can be aimed at resilience preparedness, climate mitigation, clean transit, and affordable housing, to create more sustainable cities.

Canadian Publicly Available Specification (PAS)

Canadian Procedure for Laboratory Testing of Oil-Grit Separators

This publicly available specification provides guidance for testing and verification of stormwater manufactured treatment devices.

Canadian Procedure for Field Testing of Stormwater Filtration Manufactured Treatment Devices

This procedure is to be used as the basis for stormwater filtration technology performance field testing and subsequent verification.

Guidance on the Use and Application of Results from Verified Laboratory and Field Testing for Stormwater Manufactured Treatment Devices

Guidance on how performance data from verified testing can be interpreted and applied to support regulatory agency approval decisions. 

Environmental Technology Verification 

 

Environmental issues such as climate change, air quality, clean water and clean soil create challenges for countries around the world, including Canada. Innovative technologies and products can help address some of these challenges by reducing pollutants and emissions. Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) helps demonstrate these products live up to their performance claims.

ETV and clean technology

From dust control to bio-hazardous waste treatment, learn how ETV supports Canada’s clean tech industry.

 


 

The world’s climate is changing. Global populations face a staggering range of environmental challenges. The need for clean technologies that can help us mitigate the effects of these changes is more important and more valuable than ever before.


Canadian innovators are leaders in the development of environmental technologies in areas as wide-ranging as building envelope, power generation, mitigation of harmful pollutants, and much more.


But getting them to market in a global economy that’s hungry for solutions means it’s imperative to substantiate performance claims and show buyers performance guarantees.


This is where Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) fits in, along with the new International Standard, ISO 14034 Environmental management – Environmental technology verification, which now provides independent verification of those claims.


ISO 14034 was developed through international collaboration among environmental experts worldwide, with Canadian experts and the Standards Council of Canada playing a key leadership role in the standard development process.


Here’s how the process works.  


Simply put, an innovator creates a product or process, and tests it to ensure that it meets an environmental need. That data from those tests forms the basis of the innovator’s environmental claims. But those claims must be verified independently, and assessed against the ISO standard before the innovator can say it meets the Standard.  

 

Verifiers are technical organizations that follow the requirements of the ISO 14034 standard. . Verifiers must follow the procedures and requirements detailed in the new ISO standard if they aim to be accredited by their national accreditation bodies.


Here’s a simple synopsis of the process for meeting those criteria.

•    Application – the innovator provides information about the technology, its purpose, and performance claims to the verifying organization  
•    Pre-verification – the technology’s performance parameters are determined in order to specify precisely what will be verified
•    Verification – the verifier reviews test data provided and may recommend that the innovator provide more.

•    Confirmation and post-verification – results are shared with the innovator, and if everything is in line, the verification of the performance parameters will be published… and the Standard has been met!


For the innovator, ETV and the new global standard are welcome news.


If you think about it, adhering to the International standard clearly demonstrates that the outcomes you’re stating are true and repeatable.
 

Going through the ETV process gives the innovator the credible information – the seal of approval – that backs up your performance claims.


And as the innovator heads out to market, adherence to the Standard builds buyer confidence because potential customers will know that environmental performance claims are valid, credible, and supported by high quality, independent test data and information.


At the end of the day, ISO 14034 and the ETV process are in place to support innovators, to help consumers in Canada and around the world, by ensuring that clean, cutting-edge technologies get to market and can compete successfully in the world marketplace.  

 

To learn more about the Standard and the environmental technology verification process, visit the Standards Council of Canada at this URL. 
 

Narrator: When the City of Toronto learned that compromised air quality was posing serious health risks to its residents, it decided to use Environmental Technology Verification or ETV to take action.

A major source of this issue is fine road dust coming from wear on tires, asphalt, brakes and clutches, classified as PM-10 or PM-2.5. It’s so tiny that it can be inhaled, and has been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular problems, and even premature death.

New “regenerative air” sweeper technology was reported to be able to remove at least 80% of this matter from the air, which could potentially improve air quality by 25-30%. Toronto wanted to test this potential.

Vesna Stevanovic-Briatico, Transportation Services, City of Toronto: We wanted to have the best performing machine at the best purchase price, and ETV Canada, again, was instrumental in making that happen.

Narrator: Environmental technology verification sets out a standard process to follow when a performance claim is made.

In other words, it ensures that an independent party can effectively test the technology, and that the results can be considered reliable. 
Roger Vanderlinden, Tymco Distributor: This was totally independent, scientific, strict and focused and our input was really only to go down and perform to the best we could and be measured.

Narrator: Both TYMCO and Elgin sweepers were verified as part of Toronto’s procurement process.

Roger Vanderlinden: In 2005 we participated in the first ETV test in the city of Toronto and in 2006 we sold the first 14 TYMCO DST 6 sweepers as a result.

Chris Vanderhof, Elgin Distributor: One of the key benefits to participating in the ETV process is having that advantage over the competitors or over the other products in the marketplace. ETV allows you to give the verification on your products that you are complying and meeting the regulations of the environmental interests of those products and of the municipality or customer you’re dealing with.

Narrator: The city of Toronto continues to make ETV a requirement for its machinery.
Now, with the development of an international ETV standard outlining the verification process, companies wanting to become verified will have results that can be recognized in local, national and global markets.

Chris Vanderhof: In a lot of ways, we feel already going through that process puts us in a better position for the future because it will be more relevant as we go through the next five and ten years and environmental issues become more prevalent in business.

Bryan Young, Tymco: Worldwide, environmental issues are becoming a bigger and bigger deal, and the fact that this is going to take the next step and become recognized as an international standard and acknowledged by several different countries, we are looking forward to that opportunity to gain access to those markets.

Vesna Stevanovic-Briatico: If you embrace this opportunity and you have a good product, you are going to do very good in the marketplace.
 

ETV helps Toronto breathe easier

When the City of Toronto learned that poor air quality was posing serious health risks to its residents, it decided to use Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) to ensure that new street sweepers could remove as much fine road dust as their manufacturers claimed.