Certify your organization or product against PAS 2060, the only recognized international standard for carbon neutrality. Carbon neutral certification demonstrates an organization's commitment to decarbonization and neutralizing the residual impact through supporting environmental projects.
PAS 2060 certification can apply to activities, products, services, buildings, projects, towns, cities and even events. This specification aims to restore the integrity of the concept by establishing requirements for the demonstration of carbon neutrality.
A carbon neutral footprint is a footprint in which the sum of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) produced is offset by natural carbon sinks and/or carbon credits.
What is PAS 2060?
PAS 2060 is an internationally accepted specification for carbon neutrality and is based on the existing PAS 2050 environmental standard. It sets out requirements for measuring, reducing and balancing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for organizations, products and activities. It builds on existing environmental standards such as PAS 2060, ISO 14000 series and PAS 2050 - Assessment of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services.
Demonstrate a commitment to decarbonization and a willingness to offset residual impacts
Build your green credentials with an annual commitment
Differentiate yourself as an environmentally conscious brand
Contribute to global decarbonization efforts with the support of environmental projects
Align your business with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
ASTOR MAYER certifies organizations, products, events and selected Scope 3 categories in accordance with PAS 2060.
Carbon neutral certification for organisations, sites and events
Our organization certifies organizations, sites and events that have a robustly measured footprint, a commitment to annual emissions reductions evidenced in a plan showing how reductions will be met, and offset their remaining footprint with verified carbon sinks and/or carbon credits.
Our organization certifies products that are carbon neutral through upstream natural carbon sinks (e.g. plants, soil, oceans and atmosphere) or have purchased offsets to the value of their annual emissions. For products that use offsets as a means of compensation, a commitment to annual emissions reductions evidenced in a plan showing how the reduction commitments will be met is also required to obtain certification. The label can be used on the product to convey sustainability information.
Carbon Neutrality or Carbon Zero The situation where there is no net increase in global greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere as a result of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the issue.
A Carbon Zero condition exists in which there is no net increase in global emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as a result of associated greenhouse gas emissions. The specification recognizes that organizations are unlikely to achieve “carbon neutrality” through mitigation measures alone and therefore carbon offsetting will play a role. However, in order to facilitate the process, PAS does not allow declarations to be submitted solely on the basis of offset, except for the first application period. The carbon reduction then needs to be proven in absolute or emissions intensity terms.
Limit – Carbon neutrality has a minimum requirement to cover Scope 1 and 2 emissions, with Scope 3 incentivized. Net Zero must cover Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
Exceedance level – a company is not required to reduce emissions on a specific trajectory to become carbon neutral. To become Net Zero, an organization must be reducing emissions along a 1.5ᵒC trajectory in Scopes 1, 2 and 3.
Approach to residual emissions – to achieve carbon neutrality, an organization must either purchase carbon offsets that result in carbon reductions, efficiency or reductions. For Net Zero, an organization must purchase greenhouse gas removals that sequester carbon from the atmosphere.
Carbon neutrality is defined by PAS 2060, an internationally recognized standard that sets requirements for measuring, reducing and balancing greenhouse gas emissions.
In the PAS 2060 standard, the definition of carbon neutral footprint is the absence of a net increase in global greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere over the same period as a result of relevant greenhouse gas emissions over a certain period of time.
There are a number of important differences between the definition of carbon neutrality and Net Zero:
The limit for the Net Zero target includes the organization's global scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, while carbon neutrality for an organization only requires scope 1 and 2, with scope 3 emissions encouraged but not mandatory.
The limit of a carbon neutrality claim may refer to a specific product or service rather than encompassing the entire organization in the case of Net Zero.
The required reduction in reported emissions varies. Net Zero targets should be aligned with a science-based target of 1.5°C, but the target level of a carbon management plan for carbon neutrality is not specified.
The approach to residual emissions differs with the specific greenhouse gas removals required for Net Zero targets, while carbon offsets are considered for carbon neutrality.
PAS 2060 Process
Measurement: Assess GHG emissions based on accurate and complete raw data.
Set Goals to Reduce Emissions: Implement a Carbon Management Plan by declaring a commitment to carbon neutrality by adopting several reduction strategies.
Compensate: At the end of the mitigation phase, greenhouse gas emissions will be offset by high-quality, certified carbon credits (Gold Standard, Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation or Voluntary Carbon Standard).
Document and Verify
A declaration that neutrality in accordance with the standard has been achieved through a series of statements known as Qualifying Explanatory Statements (QES).
All documentation supporting the carbon neutrality claim must be made public.
Requirements and verification phase in brief
Achieving carbon neutrality through offsetting alone is not supported. Where the business plans to maintain carbon neutrality, they will need to update their Carbon Footprint Management Plan at least every 12 months. The standard also requires the adoption of an offset strategy that determines the estimated amount, nature and type of offsets to be used before offsets are purchased.
The standard requires three types of verification of achieving impartiality:
self-verification, is essentially a case of an organization verifying its carbon footprint and reduction achievements. Organizations must be able to verify and demonstrate that the amounts and actions undertaken to achieve carbon neutrality comply with PAS 2060. The appropriate method for self-verification and presentation of results will be through the application of EN ISO 14064-1.
Other party verification, It enables auditing and verification of methodology and data and is recommended for organizations looking to market their carbon neutral status. This approach is superior to self-verification as it protects the organization from criticism of its lack of robustness and, as a result, strengthens confidence in the carbon neutrality claim.
Third-party independent verification It can only be provided by certification bodies.
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