Carbon Neutral certification
A carbon neutral certification demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to decarbonisation, and the neutralisation of remaining impact through the support of environmental projects.
What is a carbon neutral footprint?
A carbon neutral footprint is one where the sum of the greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) produced is offset by natural carbon sinks and/or carbon credits.
What is PAS 2060?
PAS 2060 is the internationally recognised specification for carbon neutrality and builds on the existing PAS 2050 environmental standard. It sets out requirements for quantification, reduction and offsetting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for organisations, products and events.
Benefits of carbon neutrality
- Demonstrate a commitment to decarbonisation and a willingness to offset remaining impacts
- Enhance your green credentials through an annual commitment
- Differentiate yourself as an environmentally responsible brand
- Contribute to global decarbonisation efforts through the support of environmental projects
- Align your business to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
How we can help
The Carbon Trust certifies organisations, products, events and selected Scope 3 categories to PAS 2060.
Carbon neutral certification for organisations, sites & events
The Carbon Trust certifies organisations, sites and events that have a robustly measured footprint, a commitment to year on year emissions reduction evidenced in a plan demonstrating how reductions will be met and have offset their remaining footprint with verified carbon sinks and/or carbon credits.
Carbon neutral certification for products
The Carbon Trust certifies products that are either carbon neutral through upstream natural carbon sinks (eg. plants, soil, oceans and the atmosphere), or have purchased offsets to the value of their annual emissions. For products using offsetting as a means of compensation, a commitment to year on year emissions reduction evidenced in a plan demonstrating how the reduction commitments will be met are also necessary to becoming certified. The label can be used on the product to communicate its sustainability credentials.
What is the difference between carbon neutrality and net zero?
Boundary
Carbon neutrality has a minimum requirement of covering Scope 1 & 2 emissions with Scope 3 encouraged. Net zero must cover Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions.
Level of ambition
There is no requirement for a company to reduce its emissions on a certain trajectory in order to be carbon neutral. To be net zero, an organisation must be reducing its emissions along a 1.5ᵒC trajectory across Scopes 1, 2 & 3.
Approach to residual emissions
To achieve carbon neutrality, an organisation must purchase carbon offsets that either result in carbon reductions, efficiencies or sinks. For net zero, an organisation must purchase greenhouse gas removals that result in carbon sequestration from the atmosphere.