The need for ambitious climate action has never been more urgent. Setting ambitious commitments to lower emissions is critical to ensure the long term sustainability of your activities.
Climate action is a journey that requires a tailored approach. However, many climate certification systems do not make the distinction between different stages of commitments. They also can lack neutrality if the criteria is not verified by an independent, accredited third party. Without accurate information and transparency, these systems can mislead the public and even contribute to the unfortunate practice of greenwashing.
This is why we’ve launched the CO2 Neutral label, which recognizes every step organizations take to reduce their negative environmental impact and makes their efforts visible to the public. Our ambitious 5-step approach helps organizations raise the bar on their climate commitments while helping consumers make informed and impactful choices.
We believe climate action should be accessible to all. Whether you’re just starting out or well on your way to reducing emissions, the CO2 Neutral label offers different levels and types of certification to support your organization on every step of your climate journey.
The CO2 Neutral label is separated into three types, adapted to your specific situation:
1. Entities – Companies or parts of companies (e.g. site level), organisations, private sector bodies, households, towns, cities, or even individuals. Entities can be defined by a physical location or by a juridical entity.
2. Products – An article or substance manufactured or refined for sale. Examples include: food and fast-moving consumer goods, and even buildings.
3. Services – all activities which can not be allocated to a product lifecycle or to an entity carbon footprint (e.g. event or delivery services)
The CO2 Neutral label’s level system ranging from bronze to gold recognizes your climate commitments while encouraging you to go further.
Bronze Entity: Covers scopes 1 and 2, meaning: all direct and indirect emissions from the use of purchased electricity, heat, or cooling (energy consumption, heat generation, fuel for vehicles…).
Silver Entity: Covers scopes 1, 2 and part of scope 3, meaning: all direct and indirect emissions from the use of purchased electricity, heat or cooling as well as the indirect emissions linked to fuel and energy-related emissions (not already considered in scopes 1 and 2), waste from operations, business travel, employee home-work commuting.
Gold Entity: Covers scopes 1, 2 and all material scope 3 emissions, meaning: all direct and indirect emissions from the use of purchased electricity, heat or cooling as well as the indirect emissions generated within the value chain (upstream and downstream emissions). Furthermore, to reach this level, the reduction target must be in line with science-based targets (1,5°C trajectory) and should cover at least ⅔ of scope 3 emissions.
To define the level of maturity of a product, we use a weighted assessment matrix in order to reflect all the specificities linked to a product.
This matrix evaluates all the attributes which are relevant to assess a product against climate ambitions and provides an initial scoring. Attributes can be: the product carbon footprint performance, the quality of data and calculation, the reduction potential, the environmental benefits of the product, the company’s ambitions, the scope for compensation.
This initial scoring is then adapted based on weights which are parametrized depending on the products’ carbon footprint. Each final score corresponds to one of the maturity levels: Bronze, Silver or Gold.
Service: do not have specific maturity levels. All relevant emissions from the service must be taken into account similarly as for Product, Service labels are granted based on weighted assessment matrix.
Every CO2 Neutral label is accompanied by a QR code to bring more transparency to your climate commitments. When scanned, a link will open to a dedicated page that shares key information about the label, including: the carbon footprinting scope, reduction plan target, financing climate projects and longer term ambitions. The QR code offers an in-depth look at each organizations’ progress in reducing emissions and sets a positive example for others to follow.
To ensure full accountability, we have added an external audit as an additional step of the CO2 Neutral certification process. All applications will be submitted to Vincçotte (Member of Group Kiwa), an independent third party, third party partner, who will validate that all requirements have been met before awarding the label.
South Pole and CO2logic form the world’s largest climate solutions provider and carbon project developer. Together, they advise and support companies and institutions worldwide in defining and implementing ambitious and integrated sustainability strategies, to meet the climate challenge. As a pioneer in the field of decarbonisation, they also develop climate change mitigation and adaptation projects that meet the highest industry standards for certifying reductions. These projects contribute to the reduction in global carbon dioxide emissions while supporting initiatives that protect the territories and communities most vulnerable to climate change.