Carbon Neutral Protocol
The CarbonNeutral Protocol is a global standard which underpins the CarbonNeutral® certification which is awarded by The CarbonNeutral Company to its clients and related products or services. It is a standard for validating carbon offsetting programmes which lead to carbon neutrality. It was first conceived and published in 2002 and is annually revised and updated to ensure it reflects the changing requirements of both science and business.
Protocol Details
The Protocol outlines five steps which must be followed in order to achieve CarbonNeutral® certification:
(1) Define and give a clear description of the subject applying for CarbonNeutral® certification.
(2) Accurately measure the subject’s greenhouse gas emissions.
(3) Set a target of achieving net zero emissions.
(4) Reduce emissions through internal reductions and carbon offsets.
(5) Communicate with accurate and transport information on the process of achieving CarbonNeutral® certification.
The carbon credits for CarbonNeutral® programmes are checked and validated by independent third party standards which include the Voluntary Carbon Standard, the Climate Action Reserve and Gold Standard. These standards provide assurances that carbon credits that businesses buy deliver validated, verified emission reductions and have real environmental benefits.
Independent Advisory Group
Since its launch in 2002, the Protocol has been reviewed and updated annually by The CarbonNeutral Company with consultation from its Independent Advisory Group (IAG). The IAG includes scientists, industry experts and key business professionals from organisations taking action on combating climate change. Below is a list of current members:
Name |
Primary Affiliation |
Role |
Joining Date |
Declaration of Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ricardo Bayon |
Director, EkyVentures |
Ordinary Member |
September 2007 |
Previously Managing Director of Ecosystem Marketplace, and lead author of ‘Voluntary Carbon Markets’ 2007. |
Melanie Eddis |
Director,Certification & Verification Services, Environmental Resources Ltd |
Ordinary Member |
Inception September 2005 |
Previously with KPMG & led verification work for CarbonNeutral in 2004, 2005, 2006. |
Charles Crosthwaite Eyre |
Managing Director, Eyre Consulting Limited |
Ordinary member |
Inception September 2005 |
Director of business risk consultancy Eyre Consulting Ltd with a variety of remunerated business and government clients in the UK. Conducted independent review of carbon offset project for IAG (remunerated) in 2007. |
Jo Fox |
Deputy Director, The Bigger Picture at Sky |
Ordinary member (CarbonNeutral client representative) |
September 2009 |
The CarbonNeutral Company is a supplier to Sky. |
Michael Gillenwater |
Executive Director and Dean, Greenhouse Gas Management Institute |
Ordinary member |
June 2008 |
Also Executive Director of Greenhouse Gas Experts Network. Technical advisor to the UNFCCC and former Director at Environmental Resources Trust. Currently with Princeton University. Previously with the US government's Environmental Protection Agency. |
Dr. Cameron Hepburn |
Senior Research Fellow, Smith School, Oxford University |
Ordinary member |
March 2009 |
Director of Climate Bridge Ltd (a supplier to The CarbonNeutral Company); Director of Vivid Economics Ltd; Academic Panel Member of Defra; Visiting Fellow at the Grantham Institute of the London School of Economics. |
Alan Knight |
Commissioner, UK Sustainable Development Commission |
Ordinary Member |
September 2006 |
Director of consultancy Single Planet Living, with various remunerated consultancy assignments & advisory positions with government agencies and corporations. Conducted independent review of carbon offset project for IAG (remunerated) in 2007. |
Dorothy McIntosh |
Climate and Carbon Business Development Manager of Mercy Corps |
Ordinary Member |
March 2009 |
Director of Plan Vivo and Director of Carbon Matters |
Prof. John Murlis |
Visiting Professor, University College London |
Chair |
Inception September 2005 |
Various remunerated advisory and consutling appointments with corporate clients and government agencies. |
John O Niles |
Chief Science and Policy Officer, Carbon Conservation |
Ordinary member |
Inception September 2005 |
Previously with Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) and Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN). |
Richard Owers |
Marketing Director of Pureprint Group and Business Development Director of Beacon Press |
Ordinary member (CarbonNeutral client representative) |
June 2009 |
Member of Two Sides Sustainability Group and member the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) Environmental Advisory Group. The CarbonNeutral Company is a supplier to Pureprint Group. |
Jonathan Shopley |
Executive Director, The CarbonNeutral Company |
CarbonNeutral Company representative |
Inception September 2005 |
Full time CarbonNeutral Company employee |
Dr. Richard Tipper |
Managing Director, Ecometrica |
Ordinary member (Technical advisor to the IAG) |
Inception September 2005 |
Former director of the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management, a trading arm of Energy for Sustainable Development, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Camco plc. ECCM, ESD and Camco have commercial relationships with The CarbonNeutral Company. |
Dr. Sally Uren |
Director, The Forum for the Future (FFF) |
Ordinary member |
September 2006 |
FFF's advisor to BP, Ford UK and Royal Household, and others on carbon management programs. Chair of the External Governance Committee for Land Rover offset proposition, owned by Tata. |
Cross compliance with PAS 2060
Developed by the British Standards Institute, PAS 2060 is a public specification for carbon neutrality. It was developed through consultation with a number of carbon offset providers which included The CarbonNeutral Company.The similarities and differences between the Protocol and PAS 2060 can be summarised as follows:
1. Description of Subject.
- a. CarbonNeutral protocol requires a clear description of the subject; PAS 2060 states that the subject’s purpose, objectives and functions must be described.
2. Measurement of greenhouse gas emissions.
- a. CarbonNeutral Protocol states Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions should be accurately measured depending on entity being certified; PAS 2060 requires 100% of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, plus all Scope 3 emissions that contribute more than 1% of the total footprint.
3. Reduction of emissions through internal reductions and carbon offsets.
- a. CarbonNeutral Protocol states that the subject must set a target of net zero emissions to be achieved by offsetting and internal reduction targets; PAS 2060 requires that the subject show year-on-year reductions in emissions in either absolute or relative terms relative to a baseline. In the event of a subject having a reduction target in relative terms (carbon intensity per unit of product, turnover etc) the reduction should be greater than the regional economic growth rate.
- b. PAS 2060 requires that offset credits are retired with 12 months of a declaration of PAS 2060 neutrality.
4. Declaration and transparency.
- a. CarbonNeutral Protocol states that subjects must communicate with accurate and transparent information on the process of achieving CarbonNeutral® certification; PAS 2060 requires all public declarations to conform to BS EN ISO/IEC 17050-1 and that all supporting documentation be made publicly available.
5. Verification and Certification.
- a. CarbonNeutral Protocol states that data must be verified CarbonNeutral certifier; PAS 2060 allows for self-certification, other party verification or third party independent validation (by UKAS-registered certifiers).