WORLD ACCREDITATION DAY 2022: World Accreditation Day, a joint initiative by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and International Accreditation Forum (IAF), is observed on June 9 every year. The initiative’s aim is “accredited once, accepted everywhere,” which works for promoting the value of accreditation.
World Accreditation Day: Theme
This year, World Accreditation Day will be celebrated with the theme Accreditation: Sustainability in Economic Growth and the Environment. The world has been quite brutal when it comes to exploiting healthy ecosystems since the global economy relies heavily on these ecosystems. However, a substantial shift to more sustainable forms of production and an increased focus on carbon removal and climate litigation is the need of the hour.
World Accreditation Day: History
World Accreditation Day came into existence in 2007 with the collaborative efforts of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). The first World Accreditation Day was celebrated in 2008 and the theme for that year was – Accreditation: Delivering Trust in the Global Market. As years passed by, the day has touched upon various qualities of accreditation, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and improving food quality.
World Accreditation Day: Significance
This year’s theme is focused on the increasing climate change, pollution, over-exploitation of resources, and habitat destruction – the four main causes of biodiversity loss as listed by the United Nations Environment Programme.
It is necessary to have robust policies and processes to fight the evils entailed with climate change. Accreditation and conformity assessment can make sure that global organisations adopt sustainable and eco-friendly ways to carry out economical activities.
These will include keeping a check on CO2 levels emitted; checking if emission limits are within specified and acceptable range; clearly defining the traceability of organic food, among others.
The organisers will provide case studies, supporting materials, and research papers to demonstrate how accreditation can support sustainability. A virtual event will also be held on June 9 on IAF-ILAC YouTube channel.
