The evolution of carbon certification and where to start?

Carbon Certification, the evolution of carbon certification and where to start?

There have been countless buzzwords that have risen and fallen within the business world, the latest may be Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how to harness its capabilities, but not all buzzwords have fallen. Some have stayed and have grown, climate change and its impacts on the business world being one of them. Climate change is no longer a buzzword that appears on the front page of the Financial Times at the annual COP meeting, or on a small segment on BBC News. Addressing, mitigating, and minimising the anthropogenic impacts of climate change has evolved to be at the forefront of governmental and business decisions the world over. Within the UK, the government has established a range of legislations to address climate change, at the heart is the Climate Change Act, which has set a target for a national net zero of 2050. This target is legally binding. Whether it is a requirement in tendering for government contacts, requirements by an essential client, requirements by an essential supplier, or incorporated into the various SME initiatives available today, actions are being taken now to start the long journey towards net zero.

How do I address climate change within my business?

The first step for businesses and organisations of all sizes is to calculate the carbon footprint of said business and get the footprint verified by a third party. Throughout recent years various international standards have emerged to support a standardised approach to carbon calculation and third-party verification. Some standards have gained tremendous traction, but some have fallen due to their challenges and shortcomings. However, ISO 14064 has emerged and evolved into a recognised international framework encouraging a standardised methodology for calculating a business or organisations footprint, along with a standardised approach to third-party verification. The ISO 14064 framework was at the heart of our recent carbon certification pilot, which has seen over 40 companies calculate their footprint, obtain third-party verification certification and start their journey towards net zero with Interface. The framework has equally been adopted by countless new businesses and organisations starting their journey towards net zero with Interface.

How do I start my journey towards net zero with Interface?

If the business is new to the space, the best starting point is a remote initial review/GAP analysis of the business. This involves a technical discussion with one of our carbon lead verifiers to give you a better understanding of the routes to carbon certification, and the best path to meet your specific needs. The verifier will run through the key elements of carbon calculation and carbon reduction and will check where you are in terms of carbon calculation and the requirements of ISO 14064. The outputs will be a gap analysis against the main requirements of ISO 14064 and a plan and timescale for you to move forward. This is the common starting point for most businesses, but we have streamlined the onboarding process, simply follow the link below to book for initial review/GAP analysis for a date and time that suits you and we will contact you once the slot has been booked.

However, if you have an existing carbon calculator then the best starting point is a pre-verification. We will evaluate the readiness of your organisation to be verified, looking for any potential gaps in calculations and planning specifics for the Primary Verification audit. Followed by the primary verification against the requirements of ISO 14064-1. This is the full verification, where we formally assess you against the requirements of the Standard and produce a report detailing the findings of the Verification. This will identify Opportunities for Improvement, modifications, and any further work that is required before certification.

To gain more information on starting your journey towards net zero with Interface, or want to gain more information on how the evolving climate change space affects your business, please join our upcoming carbon certification webinar on the 1^st of March 2024 at 12.30.