Kirsti Norris, from Action for Sustainability talks us through what is required to declare Carbon Neutrality and demonstrate that you have done what you said you have done.

1. Action for Sustainability Jim O’Shaughnessy
Declaring and demonstrating
neutrality
Kirsti Norris
kirsti@actionforsustainability.com

2. Action for Sustainability Jim O’Shaughnessy
Update on Project Carbon
Measurement
Reduction
Offsetting
Documentation and
verification

3. Action for Sustainability Jim O’Shaughnessy
Declaration of Achievement
Public disclosure of all documentation that supports the
claim:
– Evidence of emission reductions
– Evidence of retired offset credits
– Summary of Carbon Footprint report
– Carbon Management Plan
– QES

4. Action for Sustainability Jim O’Shaughnessy
Declaration of Achievement
Standard-compliant wording through a set of statements
known as Qualifying Explanatory Statements (QES)
Example QES:
“Carbon neutrality of business activities achieved by [Company X]
in accordance with PAS 2060 at 11th June 2015 for the period
commencing 1st June 2014, [certification body] certified.”

5. Action for Sustainability Jim O’Shaughnessy
Validation
Self-validation
Other party validation
Third party independent validation (certified agencies to
UKAS)

6. Action for Sustainability Jim O’Shaughnessy
Demonstrating carbon neutrality
Do you have a time
pressure to achieve Carbon
Neutrality?
Do you have accurate
reliable historical reduction
data?
Use Method 2 Use Method 3 Use Method 1
YES
YES NO
NO

7. Action for Sustainability Jim O’Shaughnessy
Timeframes
Method 2
Period 1
(Baseline)
Period 2 Period 3
Historic reduction – up
to three years
Implement plan
Deliver reductions
Determine reduced
footprint
Implement plan
Deliver reductions
Determine reduced
footprint
Define subject
Quantify / reduce /
recognise permitted
historic reduction /
determine footprint
Declaration of
Achievement of
carbon neutrality

8. Action for Sustainability Jim O’Shaughnessy
Timeframes
Method 3
Period 1
(Baseline)
Period 2 Period 3
Define subject
Measure footprint
Implement plan
Deliver reductions
Determine reduced
footprint
Implement plan
Deliver reductions
Determine reduced
footprint
Declaration of
Achievement of
carbon neutrality

9. Action for Sustainability Jim O’Shaughnessy
Period 1
(Baseline)
Period 2 Period 3
Define subject
Measure footprint
Implement plan
Deliver reductions
Determine reduced
footprint
Implement plan
Deliver reductions
Determine reduced
footprint
Declaration of
Achievement of
carbon neutrality
Timeframes
Method 1