Climate Impact Partners, leaders in the voluntary carbon market for more than 25 years, today launches the Climate Action Protocol, enabling companies to make confident climate claims, based on internal reductions and carbon credit use. The Protocol demystifies the increasingly complex requirements from Standards and Frameworks and provides a digital tool to help companies determine which claims best align with their goals.
A first of its kind initiative, the Protocol brings together the ever-widening range of guidelines for carbon credit related claims, offering concise, easy to navigate summaries including Climate Impact Partners’ CarbonNeutral certification, ISO’s 14068 Carbon Neutral Standard; ISO’s Net Zero Guidance; SBTi’s Net Zero Standard; and VCMI’s Carbon Integrity Claim.
With the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) endorsing the role of carbon credits in private section climate action in its new Beyond Value Chain Mitigation (BVCM) report - recommending that companies should purchase carbon credits equivalent to at least 50% of their unabated scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, and follow third party standards for any resulting claims - the Protocol is the tool to guide them through those claims options.
As the claims landscape rapidly evolves, the Climate Action Protocol builds upon Climate Impact Partners’ CarbonNeutral Protocol, which was established in 2002 and updated annually to provide a leading framework for credible carbon neutral action. The new Climate Action Protocol recognizes the need for greater standardization of claims across sectors and regions, to ensure corporate leaders can take action with confidence. It offers pathways including, and beyond, carbon neutral claims, and launches with an accompanying digital tool to provide bespoke guidance on which certifications are best suited to a company’s operations and aims.
“Against a backdrop of rising scrutiny, increased government legislation and a sea of new regulations and guidance, companies are looking for clarity,” says Chris Duck, Claims and Assessments Director at Climate Impact Partners. “The Climate Action Protocol cuts through the noise and sets out claim frameworks clearly, with the digital tool providing a simplified, but personalized approach to help companies better understand claims in the context of their business. This is all about empowering companies to take well-informed action with confidence.”
In addition to the new Protocol, Climate Impact Partners has begun rolling out online dashboards to its clients, enabling them to access information about their carbon credit purchases and status, and meet the increasing requirements for reporting.
“Our goal is to simplify the complex for our clients, ultimately enabling them to more confidently make climate investments and be recognized for that work,” said Sheri Hickok, CEO at Climate Impact Partners. “Though this is a nascent market, we believe there is an opportunity to continue to demystify what high quality, high integrity climate action looks like. Our Climate Action Protocol is a first step on that journey. Bottom line – the world needs more private sector investment today to tackle the growing emission gap, and we are committed to helping corporates establish ambitious targets beyond their internal decarbonization goals that deliver impact now, including going beyond their operational footprint to ensure we deliver a global transformation.”
