How
Large organisations should engage a professional net zero consultancy. If you are a small organisation and lack the budget to engage a consultancy, we suggest the process below.
Process
1 Measure
Small organisations can use free online tools to produce sensible carbon footprint estimates. Ensure you use a tool that is well-regarded, detailed and appropriate for your organisation.
Carbon measurement is inherently inaccurate; consultancies simply provide better estimates. For smaller organisations, this inaccuracy is less important, and can be compensated for by adding a large margin of error (see below).
2 Reduce
Plenty of information is available online for free about how organisations of all sizes can reduce their impact. A consultancy will offer more specific and relevant ideas – but so can you, with some thought and research.
Remember: offsetting without serious, effective, enacted reduction plans is pointless and effectively greenwashing.
Make sure your reduction activity focuses on the worst sources of emissions identified in your measurement, doesn’t dismiss action purely on the grounds of inconvenience, and is solely based on credible sources of information, not intuition.
If there is nothing more you can reasonably do to reduce current emissions, your reduction plan should focus on how you will ensure that emissions will continue to be minimised as your organisation grows.
3 Offset
Round up your carbon measurement to the nearest tonne, and add 50–200% more as a margin of error. This large margin of error recognises that your measurement process has not been as rigorous as consultancy-driven processes.
Now purchase that many tonnes of offsets in verified carbon credits from a reputable supplier. To help others verify your carbon neutral claims, you may wish to select a supplier who will list your offsets on a publicly visible page or database.
Consultancies can’t offer better offsets than the ones you can buy directly. Purchasing the offsets yourself gives you the choice to select the best supplier, and may allow you to choose offset projects with personal meaning to you or your staff.
4 Demonstrate
Consultancies would provide their own carbon neutral badge for you to display.
Instead, organisations can use the Carbon Neutral Symbol or one of our Carbon Neutral badges.
Whatever design you use, present it along with a link to where others can verify your claims.
Caveat
Although the processes above will result in less accurate measurement and less rigorous reduction plans, the measurements and plans will still be highly worthwhile. It’s by far better that more organisations engage with these activities, even if they don’t do it perfectly, than be put off entirely.
Managing carbon neutrality internally relies on the collective conscience of the organisation that undertakes it. Do not use the Carbon Neutral Symbol unless it fairly represents your honest, genuine and effective efforts to reduce your carbon footprint.
By contrast, a consultancy holds you to account. If you are a larger organisation with the resources for a more in-depth process, you should engage a consultancy of your choice. However, you can still use the Carbon Neutral Symbol if you wish. Consultancies are also free to incorporate the Symbol into their own badges.