In simple terms, Net-Zero is about reducing your emissions as much as possible and offsetting the remainder with carbon credits; Carbon Neutral means simply balancing your emissions by purchasing offset credits and Zero Carbon means no emissions are produced by your organisation. The videos (below) speak a little more on this.

Offsetting is the process of investing in projects that in some way capture or reduce carbon somewhere else to balance out the emissions you release; insetting instead refers to investing in methods to reduce carbon emissions within the companies’ value chain.

An organisation’s carbon emissions are separated by the GHG Protocol into 3 areas - Scope 1 being directly purchased and used fossil fuels (e.g. mains gas, vehicle fuel); Scope 2 is electricity purchased and used by you; Scope 3 are emissions initiated by you but not managed by you: these are (broadly) emissions from supplying your business and emissions arising from dealing with your customers. The videos (below) explain a little more.

Most organisations who are not heavy manufacturers will see, in-line with costs, most carbon coming from indirect sources. Reducing emissions from these areas requires first an understanding of their size and source, and then an assessment of what actions you can and should take to mitigate them. Often, savings you make from carbon will drive other benefits to the organisation, be the cost, service, health & safety..

A standard and set of practices that sets carbon reduction goals for companies that align their decarbonisation targets with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degree temperature rise limit, with sector-based approaches (e.g. for the chemical industry, or financial services).

It’s a standard for an ethical approach to business, balancing people, planet and profit. It addresses broader social and environmental governance, rather than just carbon.