Procurri’s Carbon Neutral Status: What Does It Actually Mean?

Carbon Neutral is the term used to describe the status of an entity where the carbon emissions caused by them have been neutralised by funding or implementing an equivalent amount of carbon savings, reductions or avoidance elsewhere. The status of ‘net zero’ can be achieved once all emissions have been reduced by 90%, and residual carbon emissions are then balanced by removals.

The equivalent carbon savings, reductions and avoidance are usually obtained through the purchase of carbon credits and funding into renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Such projects appear all over the world, but are primarily present in developing countries to aid vulnerable communities.

There is no law as such dictating the measures which businesses must prove to market themselves as ‘Carbon Neutral’, and so it is imperative that consumers check sustainability credentials to ensure proper accreditation.

What Carbon Neutral accreditations do Procurri hold?

Procurri hold two certifications from the Carbon Footprint Standard: Carbon Neutral Organisation status and CO2E Reduced Organisation status.

Carbon Neutral Organisation certification is the most thorough and full accreditation available from the Carbon Footprint Standard. This dictates that all of the organisations’ emissions must be offset using carbon credits generated under and to strict standards. The Carbon Footprint Standard assesses all emissions through set standards and methodologies as defined by the QAS (Quality Assurance Standard), VCS (Verified Carbon Standard), Gold Standard Verified Carbon Reduction and Gold Standard Certified Emission Reductions. All carbon offset requirements must be completed within 12-months from the entity purchasing them. Any carbon credits purchased to or as part of a project not verified by these standards will not qualify.

The CO2E Reduced Organisation status is accredited to organisations, products, services or events that can demonstrate they have reduced their CO2E in line with the Carbon Footprint’s CO2E Assessed standard at least twice over consecutive years. This may be demonstrated through the following methods:

• Reducing ‘absolute’ emissions (ie. the total carbon footprint of the organisation)

• Reducing emissions by ‘per unit of turnover’ (ie. reductions of X tonnes of CO2E on a Y turnover basis; but corrected for changes in inflation)

• Reducing emissions by ‘per unit of production’ (ie. reductions of X tonnes of CO2E on a per widget basis).

Procurri publishes all of its sustainability data, methodologies and working practices publicly, but also collates its global facilities’ carbon data and has these independently assessed and certified by the Carbon Footprint Standard on a continual basis; and this effort has resulted in our repeated accreditation.

How often are Procurri’s Carbon Neutral accreditations audited?

Once the status/es are granted, Procurri may make the claim of their certification for a one-year period. In order to retain either of their carbon standard claims, the carbon data for the year following must be audited and meet the requirements for carbon reduction and/or carbon neutrality again in order to be granted.

How do businesses obtain Carbon Neutral certification like Procurri?

In order to apply for a formal Carbon Neutral or Carbon Reduced title, businesses must apply to and allow for the audit of their operations’ emissions by a third-party accreditor. However, in order to meet one of the global standards, they should ensure that efforts are being made in all appropriate aspects of their business to reduce carbon emissions. This is where Procurri comes in. We aid businesses in reducing their emissions and working toward sustainability standards through:

• The improvement of Scope 3 reporting as being an accredited Carbon Neutral supplier who also works toward the UN’s Sustainability Development Goals programme
• Extending the value of assets and avoiding overconsumption through the provision of Third Party Global Maintenance
• The avoidance of e-waste through the provision of zero-to-landfill ITAD (IT Asset Disposition) services
• The avoidance of unnecessary hardware purchase through cost-effective short-term rental Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) solutions for distribution.

All of Procurri’s solutions play a part in instilling small changes with big results to improve organisations’ sustainability. All of these improvements and enhancements add up and show willing on behalf of the company working on them to make changes.

Whether or not your organisation is looking to pursue a Carbon Reduction or Carbon Neutral accreditation, they can look to make improvements in their daily operations. Get in touch with the Procurri team today to talk through the idiosyncrasies and opportunities your firm has to offer!