This Technical Specification provides further details on the requirements of certification categories as set out in Tables 4, 5 and 6.
CarbonNeutral® entity certification specific requirements
CarbonNeutral® data centers
Includes refrigerant gas loss at the data center; office emissions of specific account management staff (if they are not physically located in the data center); business travel of any staff specifically assigned to manage the account/equipment of the company that is using the data center.
CarbonNeutral® product certification specific requirements
CarbonNeutral® brand
This is listed as a product certification because the scope of a CarbonNeutral brand must include all products which fall under that brand name. In addition, the scope must include non-product-related emissions relating to the operation of the brand where those emissions are not already accounted for in the footprint or Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the products, in accordance with the CarbonNeutral division certification (see Technical Specification 1.1 for the required GHG emissions sources for CarbonNeutral entity certifications). Individual products and product lines are not expected to have disaggregated footprint data.
CarbonNeutral® product (excluding …)
Where any recommended emissions sources are excluded, this must be appropriately and transparently communicated. The name of the certification must be amended appropriately. For example, where only use-phase emissions are excluded, the appropriate claim is CarbonNeutral® product (excluding use); where use-phase and disposal emissions are excluded, the appropriate claim is CarbonNeutral® product (excluding use and disposal). Use of CarbonNeutral product (excluding…) certifications must be pre-approved and agreed with the CarbonNeutral certifier.
CarbonNeutral® product-as-a-service
Includes all emissions arising from: a product, annualized for the length of the certified service or per unit of usage; and usage emissions from the entire service for which the product is certified.
CarbonNeutral® development
Emissions from the ongoing use of the development post construction are excluded.
CarbonNeutral® usage
All direct and indirect GHG emissions from the end- consumer use, for a period equivalent but not limited to the expected average lifetime of the product.
CarbonNeutral® activity certification specific requirements
CarbonNeutral® delivery/shipment
Includes intermediate emissions from static operations e.g. warehousing and storage.
When the CarbonNeutral® delivery certification logo is carried on a delivered product, the scope must include the entire distribution chain for the finished product from point of manufacture or ownership to the end user, or in the case of consumer products, to the point of retail to the end consumer.
When the CarbonNeutral® delivery certification logo is used by a logistics provider to differentiate their logistics service and the logo is not carried on a delivered product, the scope need only include the portion of the distribution chain over which the logistics provider is the provider/purchaser of the service.
CarbonNeutral® hosting/cloud services
Includes refrigerant gas loss at the data center; office emissions of specific account management staff (if they are not physically located in the data center); business travel of any staff specifically assigned to manage the account/equipment of the company that is being provided with the hosting service.
Emissions are calculated for the entity as a whole and allocated to the subject using a methodology that accurately apportions emissions to the service provided. Allocation methodologies could include the amount of: memory (RAM), storage space, processing power, bandwidth, and the level of managed service (labor), and need to be agreed on a case-by-case basis.
CarbonNeutral® event/exhibitor
Emissions from hotel accommodation should be included.
CarbonNeutral® business travel
Boundaries must include emissions arising from business travel - by air, public transport, rented/ leased/owned vehicles and taxis, and emissions from hotel accommodation due to business travel.
CarbonNeutral® production (media)
Boundaries must include all emissions arising from production-financed activities directly related to the production of the entertainment media subject (i.e., motion picture, television episode, etc.), beginning with the commencement of pre-production and ending with the conclusion of post-production for the specific subject.
For the sake of clarity, emissions arising from the development (e.g., initial writing of a screenplay and other activities preceding “green light”) and distribution (e.g., duplication, marketing, audience travel, and other activities succeeding the creation of the final master copy) of the subject are excluded, but hotel accommodation during the production must be included.
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