The CO2 Neutral Label can be used to certify a company, a product or an activity (event, delivery, …). It qualifies and communicates the climate commitment and action plan of a company or an organisation, in order to reduce its carbon footprint. Each label is audited by an independent third party : Vinçotte.
Today, climate change is probably the biggest challenge we are facing collectively. Human activities generate CO2 emissions, regardless of the size of the organisation. Those emissions contribute to global warming, and in the past years, we have started to witness the disastrous effects of climate change all over the world.
Time for action is now ! In order to mitigate climate change, we all have a role to play, whether at individual, political or industrial level.
The CO2 Neutral label is a communication tool, allowing companies and organisations to disclose their climate commitments and strategies. Thanks to the QR code, the public can find more information about their climate journey, and the different levels clearly indicate the ambition and maturity level of each company on that topic.
The level approach also encourages companies to raise their climate ambitions, and engage at the highest level, in line with the recommendations of climate science.
To get started on your climate journey and obtain CO2 Neutral label, you can fill in the contact form on our website, or reach out directly through the email below :
One of our Project Managers will then contact you as soon as possible to define the most appropriate strategy for your company or organisation.
The climate journey is our five-step approach to certification :
The CO2 Neutral Label can be used to certify a company, a product or an activity (event, delivery, …).
The label also has different levels – ranging from bronze to gold – to help your customers and stakeholders understand exactly where you stand on your climate journey. They indicate the level of ambition and the scope of your carbon reduction efforts.
For all labels, emissions have to be 1/ calculated, 2/ reduced as much as possible and then 3/ offset with certified carbon credits.
Details of the levels :
Activity : All emissions related to the activity (including indirect emissions from fossil fuel combustion, based on the requirements of PAS2060) are taken into account.
Obtaining the bronze label is an important step in itself. It means that your company or organization has taken climate responsibility and started its climate journey towards a low-carbon society.
Climate neutrality is a journey, and the bronze label is the first step. Progression to silver or gold should then follow, as your company becomes more familiar with climate issues and raises its ambition towards a reduction plan aligned with scientific targets.
Reach out to us !
Your CO2logic project manager will be the best person to guide you in this process. If you do not have a Project Manager yet, please fill the contact form on our website, or write at :
To meet the growing demand from all stakeholders for more transparency and to improve the quality of the communication around the label, we have added an individual QR code to each label. Thanks to this code, the company can now publicly communicate its level of ambition, its reduction plan and the climate projects it is supporting.
The QR-code also gives access to the Validation Statement issued by Vinçotte after the process audit, which guarantees the validity of the label.
Vinçotte is the independent third party appointed to audit all the labels issued by CO2logic.
This third-party verification is specific to the CO2 Neutral label, and guarantees the compliance of every label with the certification protocol, the implementation of the reduction plan and the climate contribution of companies.
CO2logic awards the label when the companies meet all the required conditions (measuring the carbon footprint, setting ambitious targets, implementing the reduction plan and then offsetting the remaining emissions). CO2logic also updates the carbon footprint and monitors the client’s reduction plan on an annual basis.
Vinçotte then validates the compliance with the protocol, ensuring that all our Project Managers follow the same methodology and that the companies commitments are fulfilled.
Each year, CO2logic consultants update the carbon footprint of all clients and verify the initiatives and actions taken to achieve the targets.
To know more about the protocol and the reduction monitoring, you can take a look at the certification protocol.
A label is awarded for one year, once all the basic requirements have been met. These include the correct calculation of the footprint, the implementation of a reduction plan and the setting of targets, as well as the submission of a letter of commitment from top management. Once the various stages of the climate journey have been completed, the label is awarded.
Each year, CO2logic consultants update the carbon footprint of all clients and check the initiatives and actions taken to meet the targets, before renewing the label.
If the requirements are not met, the label expires.
Our certification protocol is public.
A company, product or activity that is deemed to be in conflict with sustainable development and the transformation to a Net Zero society may be denied the CO2 Neutral label.
Offsetting can only be carried out by certified climate projects. Climate projects related to nuclear power, fuel switching, industrial gases, coal mine methane and large hydroelectric power plants are excluded.
If a company does not reduce its emissions compared to the average of the previous three years without a valid explanation and cannot demonstrate the implementation of reduction actions, the label will be withdrawn. Reduction results against interim targets must be achieved in order to retain the label.
If false or misleading communication is proven, the label may also be withdrawn.
The CO2 Neutral protocol is the methodological basis for supporting the client in his approach and defining his climate pathway. This protocol is based on international standards (PAS 2060) and on the climate science currently available at international level.
However, this subject is bound to evolve and the reality on the ground or the specificities of companies must be taken into account in order to define the most credible climate action plans.
In order to ensure the best approach with each of our clients, but also to preserve the credibility of our label and to ensure the best use of it, we have set up a scientific council to discuss specific client cases, market developments, the international context or to respond to potential misuse of the label.
The board is composed of CO2logic employees but also of external members whose field of expertise helps to feed the reflection.
To know more about the council or submit questions or suggestions for improvement, please reach out to us at :
CO2-Neutrality is achieved when an actor or entity’s net contribution to global CO2 emissions is zero. Any CO2 emissions attributable to an entity’s activities are fully compensated by CO2 reductions or removals — irrespective of the time period or the relative magnitude of emissions and removals involved. (source: Oxford Net Zero)
Net zero is a nuanced and complex topic, but in straightforward terms, it means a world in which GHGs have been reduced to a minimum – and remaining emissions removed from the atmosphere.
To achieve this, an organization must:
By supporting climate projects around the world, companies can achieve the interim milestone of climate neutrality while transitioning towards net zero.
The Gold level of the CO2Neutral Label is aligned with Net Zero pathway.
Learn more about climate neutrality and net zero.
Science-based targets provide a clearly-defined pathway for companies and financial institutions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, helping prevent the worst impacts of climate change and future-proof business growth.
Targets are considered ‘science-based’ if they are in line with what the latest climate science deems necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement – limiting global warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.
‘The SBTi is a partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The new corporate net zero standard by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) encourages businesses to invest in projects and activities that further avoid and remove emissions beyond their value chain – in parallel with reducing emissions in line with science directly across all of their direct and indirect operations.
While corporate decarbonization will play a critical role in reaching net zero, a significant amount of emissions occur beyond the reach of corporate supply chains. The private sector can play a monumental role in bridging this emissions gap, supporting the Paris Agreement, and getting ahead of impending regulation.
The Gold level ensures that the company sets ambitious targets aligned with Climate Science and in line with the Science Based Targets Initiative or equivalent. It is a clear incentive to all our clients to raise their ambition to the highest level and for all companies wishing to contribute to a low carbon society.
These standards are crucial in calculating the carbon footprint, because they give confidence in the credibility and transparency of carbon neutrality claims. Next to PEF and OEF, the most reliable and widely-used standards are ISO 14064, BSI: PAS 2050, GHG Protocol and Bilan Carbone®. In April 2013, the European Commission launched the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and the Organisation Environmental Footprint (OEF) in an attempt to harmonise the currently available carbon footprint standards.
The Publicly Available Standard 2060 (PAS 2060) is the newest recommended standard for CO2 neutrality, launched by the British Standards Institution (BSI) in 2010. It offers a successful set of measures and requirements for organisations to make a verifiable and transparent declaration of their carbon neutrality. The standard makes it easier to compare company efforts and to overcome public cynicism about the term.
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is an international accounting tool for governments and business leaders to understand, quantify, and manage greenhouse gas emissions. It was established by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in 1998 and first published in 2001. The protocol served as the foundation of several international standards, including ISO 14064-1.
Reducing emissions and decarbonising economies is urgently required, however time is running out and the technology to do so is not always available. That’s where carbon credits come in.
Companies and individuals can account for their unavoidable emissions by buying carbon credits from certified activities that support community development, protect ecosystems or install efficient technology to reduce or remove emissions from the atmosphere.
Carbon credits are measurable, verifiable emission reductions from certified climate action projects. These projects reduce, remove or avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. But they also bring a whole host of other positive benefits, for example: they empower communities, protect ecosystems, restore forests or reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Projects must adhere to a rigorous set of criteria to pass verification by third-party agencies and a review by a panel of experts at a leading carbon offset standard like Verra or Gold Standard.
After an organisation or an individual buys a carbon credit, the credit is permanently retired so it can’t be reused.
High-quality carbon credits adhere to a strict set of standards. You can check this by ensuring the projects you invest in are registered with a third-party internationally-recognised verification standard, such as the Gold Standard, Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Social Carbon and Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards (CCBS), or standards verified by the UNFCCC.
These standards also highlight additional benefits beyond carbon – all CO2logic and South Pole projects contribute to at least 3 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This could be improving health, creating better education opportunities, improving wildlife conservation or even building sustainable communities.
Rising CO2 levels is an international problem; there are no borders in the atmosphere. So, it does not matter where the project you are buying carbon credits from is located.
Many of our projects operate in less economically developed countries, as there we are often able to create a bigger impact for the local community thanks to co-benefits and extra activities.
Investing in carbon credits is often a necessary step for achieving goals and commitments.
Carbon credits fund vital planet-saving activities, direct finance to areas that most need it and reduce emissions, right now. However, they are not a quick fix or license to continue practices that damage the environment.
Businesses must take a holistic approach and develop a broad sustainability strategy to guide their climate journey and embed it into all parts of their business.
Learn more about our approach to high-impact climate action.
CO2 neutrality is a journey and a path of continuous improvement. Today, for most sectors and industries, it is still a voluntary process on the part of the company that requires commitment at the highest level of management and in many cases internal coordination of all teams, sometimes considerable financial investment to transform processes or finance adaptation.
It is therefore normal for companies to move forward gradually, usually starting with the offset of emissions in order to minimise their impact while putting in place their reduction plan. The CO2 Neutral label, through its 3 levels, aims to represent this progression as transparently as possible.
The Gold level of the CO2 Neutral label is aligned with climate science, and helps companies progress in their ambition towards a Net Zero journey. And for every level, the QR provides clear information about the company’s climate journey and level of ambition to the general public.
The third party validation by Vinçotte is another way for us to guarantee the robustness of the label, and ensure that the claim associated with it is indeed justified.
Our policy also states that a company, product or activity that is deemed to be counterproductive to sustainable development and transformation to a Net Zero society may be denied or have the CO2 Neutral label withdrawn.
Furthermore, offsetting can only be done with certified climate projects (Gold Standard, VCS), ensuring maximum impact. Climate projects related to nuclear power, fuel switching, industrial gases, coal mine methane and large hydroelectric power plants are excluded.
All companies should be encouraged to take action. The label is a way of inspiring them to be more ambitious, and it will continue to evolve in the future to meet the global challenge of climate change
Global warming refers to the recent (pre-industrial to present) temperature increase of the earth’s surface and lower atmosphere. In order to keep the negative consequences of global warming under control, the average global temperature rise should be limited to less than 2˚C relative to the pre-industrial level – as was agreed at the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Beyond that limit, climate change becomes catastrophic and irreversible.
Scientists are more than 90% sure that global warming is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases and CO2 emitted by human activities. The mass burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal, cutting down rainforests (deforestation) and farming livestock adds enormous amounts of GHGs to our atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect and global warming. As a consequence, Global temperatures will rise significantly, as will sea levels. We should expect extreme weather events (think: storms, floods, and heat waves) to increase both in frequency and intensity. In turn, this could lead to other indirect effects such as the spreading of tropical diseases to new regions, and forced mass migrations or climate refugees. The negative impacts will be strongest in low-income countries, as they are unable to take the necessary adaptation measures.
The most important GHGs are water vapour (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Other greenhouse gases include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and ozone (O3). While all GHGs are only present in the atmosphere as trace amounts, their effect is enormous: without the natural greenhouse effect, the earth’s average surface temperature would be only -18˚C instead of the current 15˚C.
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon arising from heat-absorbing components, called greenhouse gases (GHGs), in our atmosphere. This natural effect regulates the earth’s surface temperature, allowing life on earth as we know it. Unlike the belief of many people, the greenhouse effect in itself does not threaten our climate. It is only due to our carbon-emitting activities (e.g. traffic, industry, etc.) that GHGs accumulate – as they cannot be completely recycled by our natural ecosystems – which causes temperatures to rise.
Scientists at the IPCC have shown that increased levels of GHG in the atmosphere are warming the planet. This creates extreme weather changes around the world. Currently, burning fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – is the main driver of increased GHG levels.
Under the banner of the UN and Paris Agreement, the world’s countries have come together to declare that urgent action must be taken to lower emissions if we are to maintain a habitable planet that can support the world’s population.
Are you ready to get started on your climate journey ?
Our team is here to help you – contact us at : co2neutrallabel@southpole.com, or visit our website :
The CO2 Neutral Label can be used to certify a company, a product or an activity (event, delivery, …). It qualifies and communicates the climate commitment and action plan of a company or an organisation, in order to reduce its carbon footprint. Each label is audited by an independent third party : Vinçotte.
Today, climate change is probably the biggest challenge we are facing collectively. Human activities generate CO2 emissions, regardless of the size of the organisation. Those emissions contribute to global warming, and in the past years, we have started to witness the disastrous effects of climate change all over the world.
Time for action is now ! In order to mitigate climate change, we all have a role to play, whether at individual, political or industrial level.
The CO2 Neutral label is a communication tool, allowing companies and organisations to disclose their climate commitments and strategies. Thanks to the QR code, the public can find more information about their climate journey, and the different levels clearly indicate the ambition and maturity level of each company on that topic.
The level approach also encourages companies to raise their climate ambitions, and engage at the highest level, in line with the recommendations of climate science.
To get started on your climate journey and obtain CO2 Neutral label, you can fill in the contact form on our website, or reach out directly through the email below :
One of our Project Managers will then contact you as soon as possible to define the most appropriate strategy for your company or organisation.
The climate journey is our five-step approach to certification :
The CO2 Neutral Label can be used to certify a company, a product or an activity (event, delivery, …).
The label also has different levels – ranging from bronze to gold – to help your customers and stakeholders understand exactly where you stand on your climate journey. They indicate the level of ambition and the scope of your carbon reduction efforts.
For all labels, emissions have to be 1/ calculated, 2/ reduced as much as possible and then 3/ offset with certified carbon credits.
Details of the levels :
Activity : All emissions related to the activity (including indirect emissions from fossil fuel combustion, based on the requirements of PAS2060) are taken into account.
Obtaining the bronze label is an important step in itself. It means that your company or organization has taken climate responsibility and started its climate journey towards a low-carbon society.
Climate neutrality is a journey, and the bronze label is the first step. Progression to silver or gold should then follow, as your company becomes more familiar with climate issues and raises its ambition towards a reduction plan aligned with scientific targets.
Reach out to us !
Your CO2logic project manager will be the best person to guide you in this process. If you do not have a Project Manager yet, please fill the contact form on our website, or write at :
To meet the growing demand from all stakeholders for more transparency and to improve the quality of the communication around the label, we have added an individual QR code to each label. Thanks to this code, the company can now publicly communicate its level of ambition, its reduction plan and the climate projects it is supporting.
The QR-code also gives access to the Validation Statement issued by Vinçotte after the process audit, which guarantees the validity of the label.
Vinçotte is the independent third party appointed to audit all the labels issued by CO2logic.
This third-party verification is specific to the CO2 Neutral label, and guarantees the compliance of every label with the certification protocol, the implementation of the reduction plan and the climate contribution of companies.
CO2logic awards the label when the companies meet all the required conditions (measuring the carbon footprint, setting ambitious targets, implementing the reduction plan and then offsetting the remaining emissions). CO2logic also updates the carbon footprint and monitors the client’s reduction plan on an annual basis.
Vinçotte then validates the compliance with the protocol, ensuring that all our Project Managers follow the same methodology and that the companies commitments are fulfilled.
CO2-Neutrality is achieved when an actor or entity’s net contribution to global CO2 emissions is zero. Any CO2 emissions attributable to an entity’s activities are fully compensated by CO2 reductions or removals — irrespective of the time period or the relative magnitude of emissions and removals involved. (source: Oxford Net Zero)
Net zero is a nuanced and complex topic, but in straightforward terms, it means a world in which GHGs have been reduced to a minimum – and remaining emissions removed from the atmosphere.
To achieve this, an organization must:
By supporting climate projects around the world, companies can achieve the interim milestone of climate neutrality while transitioning towards net zero.
The Gold level of the CO2Neutral Label is aligned with Net Zero pathway.
Learn more about climate neutrality and net zero.
Science-based targets provide a clearly-defined pathway for companies and financial institutions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, helping prevent the worst impacts of climate change and future-proof business growth.
Targets are considered ‘science-based’ if they are in line with what the latest climate science deems necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement – limiting global warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.
‘The SBTi is a partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The new corporate net zero standard by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) encourages businesses to invest in projects and activities that further avoid and remove emissions beyond their value chain – in parallel with reducing emissions in line with science directly across all of their direct and indirect operations.
While corporate decarbonization will play a critical role in reaching net zero, a significant amount of emissions occur beyond the reach of corporate supply chains. The private sector can play a monumental role in bridging this emissions gap, supporting the Paris Agreement, and getting ahead of impending regulation.
The Gold level ensures that the company sets ambitious targets aligned with Climate Science and in line with the Science Based Targets Initiative or equivalent. It is a clear incentive to all our clients to raise their ambition to the highest level and for all companies wishing to contribute to a low carbon society.
These standards are crucial in calculating the carbon footprint, because they give confidence in the credibility and transparency of carbon neutrality claims. Next to PEF and OEF, the most reliable and widely-used standards are ISO 14064, BSI: PAS 2050, GHG Protocol and Bilan Carbone®. In April 2013, the European Commission launched the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and the Organisation Environmental Footprint (OEF) in an attempt to harmonise the currently available carbon footprint standards.
The Publicly Available Standard 2060 (PAS 2060) is the newest recommended standard for CO2 neutrality, launched by the British Standards Institution (BSI) in 2010. It offers a successful set of measures and requirements for organisations to make a verifiable and transparent declaration of their carbon neutrality. The standard makes it easier to compare company efforts and to overcome public cynicism about the term.
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is an international accounting tool for governments and business leaders to understand, quantify, and manage greenhouse gas emissions. It was established by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in 1998 and first published in 2001. The protocol served as the foundation of several international standards, including ISO 14064-1.
Reducing emissions and decarbonising economies is urgently required, however time is running out and the technology to do so is not always available. That’s where carbon credits come in.
Companies and individuals can account for their unavoidable emissions by buying carbon credits from certified activities that support community development, protect ecosystems or install efficient technology to reduce or remove emissions from the atmosphere.
Carbon credits are measurable, verifiable emission reductions from certified climate action projects. These projects reduce, remove or avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. But they also bring a whole host of other positive benefits, for example: they empower communities, protect ecosystems, restore forests or reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Projects must adhere to a rigorous set of criteria to pass verification by third-party agencies and a review by a panel of experts at a leading carbon offset standard like Verra or Gold Standard.
After an organisation or an individual buys a carbon credit, the credit is permanently retired so it can’t be reused.
Global warming refers to the recent (pre-industrial to present) temperature increase of the earth’s surface and lower atmosphere. In order to keep the negative consequences of global warming under control, the average global temperature rise should be limited to less than 2˚C relative to the pre-industrial level – as was agreed at the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Beyond that limit, climate change becomes catastrophic and irreversible.
Scientists are more than 90% sure that global warming is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases and CO2 emitted by human activities. The mass burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal, cutting down rainforests (deforestation) and farming livestock adds enormous amounts of GHGs to our atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect and global warming. As a consequence, Global temperatures will rise significantly, as will sea levels. We should expect extreme weather events (think: storms, floods, and heat waves) to increase both in frequency and intensity. In turn, this could lead to other indirect effects such as the spreading of tropical diseases to new regions, and forced mass migrations or climate refugees. The negative impacts will be strongest in low-income countries, as they are unable to take the necessary adaptation measures.
The most important GHGs are water vapour (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Other greenhouse gases include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and ozone (O3). While all GHGs are only present in the atmosphere as trace amounts, their effect is enormous: without the natural greenhouse effect, the earth’s average surface temperature would be only -18˚C instead of the current 15˚C.
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon arising from heat-absorbing components, called greenhouse gases (GHGs), in our atmosphere. This natural effect regulates the earth’s surface temperature, allowing life on earth as we know it. Unlike the belief of many people, the greenhouse effect in itself does not threaten our climate. It is only due to our carbon-emitting activities (e.g. traffic, industry, etc.) that GHGs accumulate – as they cannot be completely recycled by our natural ecosystems – which causes temperatures to rise.
Scientists at the IPCC have shown that increased levels of GHG in the atmosphere are warming the planet. This creates extreme weather changes around the world. Currently, burning fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – is the main driver of increased GHG levels.
Under the banner of the UN and Paris Agreement, the world’s countries have come together to declare that urgent action must be taken to lower emissions if we are to maintain a habitable planet that can support the world’s population.
Are you ready to get started on your climate journey ?
Our team is here to help you – contact us at : co2neutrallabel@southpole.com, or visit our website :
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