Learn more - FAQs - The Carbon Trust Standard

Reduce CO2 year on year

What is the Carbon Trust Standard?

The Carbon Trust Standard is the definitive stamp of approval that is awarded to organisations that have genuinely demonstrated they have reduced their own carbon footprint.

What is the benefit of achieving the Standard?

The Carbon Trust Standard enables customers, stakeholders and employees to recognise whether an organisation is acting on climate change by measuring, managing and reducing its emissions.

How do you get the Standard?

To get the Carbon Trust Standard organisations will need to quantifiably demonstrate that they have reduced their own carbon emissions year on year – either on an absolute or relative basis.

How long do you hold the Standard for?

Organisations that are awarded the Carbon Trust Standard hold it for a two year period. To keep the certification they must reapply and demonstrate that they have continued to make year on year reductions in their emissions.

Who is eligible for the Carbon Trust Standard?

All organisations, of all sizes and eventually in all countries, are able to apply for the Carbon Trust Standard including: FTSE; mid cap; SME; public sector (e.g. health trusts; galleries; police forces; universities).

Who is behind the Carbon Trust Standard?

The Carbon Trust Standard has been developed by the Carbon Trust. The Carbon Trust will continue to develop the methodology.

The assessment and certification service is administered by the Carbon Trust Standard Company Limited, a subsidiary of Carbon Trust Enterprises. Carbon Trust Enterprises is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Carbon Trust that is focused on developing new business ventures and providing access to financial and strategic low carbon opportunities for UK investors.

Why are relative reductions allowed when the Carbon Trust’s role is to reduce the UK’s overall reductions?

Some organisations are growing – what is important is that overall the UK economy gets more efficient in its use of carbon. The Carbon Trust Standard will highlight those that are growing efficiently.

Why is offsetting not being counted, even if high quality?

The Carbon Trust Standard recognises and rewards organisations that are making direct cuts to their own carbon emissions. Organisations who have reduced their carbon emissions as much as possible may wish to do more and offset the remaining emissions they cannot cut – but that is not the purpose of this scheme. We want to see organisations taking action themselves.

Why is green energy not being counted, even if high quality?

The Carbon Trust Standard treats “green” electricity in the same way as government regulation. “Green” electricity is assumed to have the same carbon intensity as normal grid electricity. This is because the market in the UK suffers from double counting problems, and because the additional carbon savings created by green electricity are considered to be small.

The Carbon Trust Standard rewards organisations which are cutting their own emissions. The problems with green tariffs highlighted above mean that we do not consider the tariffs to provide an emission reduction.

The role of green electricity will be considered in the light of future guidance on this issue from Defra and Ofgem.

How often will you check up on each company?

Organisations must reapply every two years – and must demonstrate real emissions reductions in line with the scheme throughout that period.

What is the benefit to the taxpayer?

This scheme will charge organisations for membership and for the assessment process. The scheme will incentivise organisations to take action to cut their emissions and to continue cutting. As a result the scheme aims to become self financing – creating emissions savings at no cost to the taxpayer.

How does this relate to the product labeling work being done by the Carbon Trust?

The product labeling work is complimentary to the Carbon Trust Standard. The Carbon Trust Standard rewards organisations which are measuring, managing and reducing their emissions. By contrast the product label looks at emissions up and down the supply chain. This shows consumers the specific carbon impact of a product or service and helps them factor carbon into their purchasing decisions.

We encourage organisations to do both – to minimise their own emissions which they control directly and then to tackle their supply chain and product emissions which they control indirectly. By choosing to work with organisations that have achieved The Carbon Trust Standard businesses will be able to be sure they are minimising their carbon impact wherever possible.

What has happened to the EEAS?

The EEAS ended in May 2008 after 15 successful years promoting best practice in energy management. The Carbon Trust Standard builds on these strong foundations to create an initiative that has an increased positive impact on the environment.

The main developments are:

Focusing on carbon – not just energy
Increasing the focus on emissions reduction
Increasing the appeal to a wider cross section of businesses and public sector organisations of all sizes.

The Carbon Trust Standard is open to all organisations whether previously EEAS certified or not.

Existing EEAS members are in a good position to move to the new scheme as they have a strong track record in improving their energy management and gathering the required data. However, the new scheme has additional requirements and so EEAS organisations need to be reassessed before they can upgrade to the new scheme to ensure that they comply.