[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":52},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page:site-default:uri-services__claims-and-certifications__carbonneutral-certification__the-carbonneutral-protocol":3,"page-modules-171528-\u002Fservices\u002Fclaims-and-certifications\u002Fcarbonneutral-certification\u002Fthe-carbonneutral-protocol\u002F":46},{"__typename":4,"siteName":5,"uri":6,"id":7,"title":8,"url":9,"postDate":10,"dateUpdated":11,"slug":12,"sectionHandle":13,"ancestors":14,"seo":28,"schemaType":38,"modules":39},"pages_Entry","Climate Impact Partners","services\u002Fclaims-and-certifications\u002Fcarbonneutral-certification\u002Fthe-carbonneutral-protocol","171528","The CarbonNeutral® Protocol","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.climateimpact.com\u002Fservices\u002Fclaims-and-certifications\u002Fcarbonneutral-certification\u002Fthe-carbonneutral-protocol\u002F","2026-10-06T10:00:00+01:00","2026-10-06T12:29:58+01:00","the-carbonneutral-protocol","pages",[15,20,24],{"title":16,"url":17,"__typename":4,"id":18,"siteHandle":19},"Services","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.climateimpact.com\u002Fservices\u002F","33965","default",{"title":21,"url":22,"__typename":4,"id":23,"siteHandle":19},"Claims & Certifications","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.climateimpact.com\u002Fservices\u002Fclaims-and-certifications\u002F","35251",{"title":25,"url":26,"__typename":4,"id":27,"siteHandle":19},"CarbonNeutral® Certification","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.climateimpact.com\u002Fservices\u002Fclaims-and-certifications\u002Fcarbonneutral-certification\u002F","91835",{"title":29,"description":30,"advanced":31,"keywords":33,"social":34},"The CarbonNeutral Protocol | Climate Impact Partners","",{"canonical":30,"robots":32},[],[],{"facebook":35,"twitter":37},{"description":30,"title":36},"The CarbonNeutral® Protocol | Climate Impact Partners",{"description":30,"title":36},"None",[40],{"moduleId":41,"__typename":42,"textBlock":43,"id":45,"siteHandle":19},null,"modules_basicText_BlockType",{"rawHtml":44},"\u003Ch1>The CarbonNeutral® Protocol\u003C\u002Fh1>\u003Cp>We are pleased to present this 2026 edition of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fd3r2tb0dm50y5v.cloudfront.net\u002Ffiles\u002Fdownloads\u002FCarbonNeutral_Protocol_2026_v1.1.pdf\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The CarbonNeutral® Protocol\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>First developed and published in 2002, the Protocol is revised and updated annually to reflect developments in climate science, international policy, standards, and business practice. It is an open access standard and guide developed for business, by business, that draws together leading independent standards for greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting, target setting, mitigation and disclosure into a practical guide for climate action.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It underpins CarbonNeutral® certifications awarded by Climate Impact Partners to organizations that achieve the technical requirements within.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Download a copy of The CarbonNeutral® Protocol \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fd3r2tb0dm50y5v.cloudfront.net\u002Ffiles\u002Fdownloads\u002FCarbonNeutral_Protocol_2026_v1.1.pdf\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cstrong>HERE\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Download a copy of The CarbonNeutral® Certification Verification Framework \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fd3r2tb0dm50y5v.cloudfront.net\u002Ffiles\u002Fdownloads\u002FCarbonNeutral-Certification-Verification-Framework-V1.3.1.pdf\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">HERE\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Summary of updates published in July 2026:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Clarification around the use of grace periods  \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e3628801b26a86eceede497291e697859\">\u003Ci>Please note that from the release of the 2026 Protocol, the use of the 2023 Protocol via grace period, which had been extended to allow for companies to have more time to align to the expanded requirements included from the 2024 Protocol, has terminated. All companies signing up or renewing CarbonNeutral® certification from 30 July 2026 will use the expanded requirements.\u003C\u002Fi> \u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Updated designation of responsibility around disclosures  \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"effb792b95e8032e992cadc61294e96c1\">It is the exclusive responsibility of the certified entity to disclose the relevant certification information as stated in Step 5: Inform.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e45c16c98602078227ea89efd273bb4fd\">It is also the exclusive responsibility of the certified entity to update disclosures in a timely manner to communicate accurate climate claims.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e083a964bfe12c748075ca190c0eba8ef\">\u003Ci>Disclosures are now recommended as per Table 13, rather than required. \u003C\u002Fi> \u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Updates regarding use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel certificates (SAFc) (Technical Specification 2.6)  \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e1c6fad0a3e2614d03be4eddf69375f31\">Introduction of SAFc use guidance, provided that they are new tools designed to combat the emissions combusted during air travel.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"ef9297d75d6a58b0db87eadff4765c392\">SAFc can be used by non-airline companies to address scope 3 Category 6 (Business Travel) or Category 9 (Downstream Transportation & Distribution) emissions, while airlines may use them as a market-based accounting mechanism for scope 1 under certain emerging frameworks.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"ecfd267befb66cbe9bc7d8bb5782d668a\">The CarbonNeutral Protocol allows for the reduction of related emissions through use of certified SAFc, though organisations should be aware that the treatment of SAF and SAFcs in accounting standards is still being defined.  \u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Sector-specific allowances in FLAG sector to use proxy data where farm-level data is unobtainable  \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e7dc5435d35ebc3dd6cb5a49a143facb4\">For companies qualifying as a Forest, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG) entity, emissions from land use and non-land use change should ideally be calculated using farm-level activity data.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e6863654121d60543c78d3e12123d3ed2\">When such farm-level data is unavailable, proxies, estimates, or well-justified assumptions may be used to approximate emissions, provided they are transparently documented and applied consistently.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"eb978001a7a3efb6ee6dadb677a205b28\">This is to allow for the continuation of climate action while data granularity improves, and not bar any company working on getting farm-level data from certification. \u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Clarification around selection of target-setting frameworks \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"eac1f6ce5e6ae93e0f78d8388e08b31d1\">Application of a specific framework for setting science- aligned targets is not mandated for CarbonNeutral® certification, however it is acknowledged that currently, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is the most widely established framework.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e437ac9a83d64c0460edc012d18aae96f\">It is the decision of the certified organisation to select and apply the frameworks, standards and relevant pathways to apply for its reduction targets and must attest to the certifier that it considers the target to be science-aligned. \u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Acknowledgement of upstream emissions for employee commuting and business travel \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e04c68f3f46cbdd55dad234c567fbc4c5\">The CarbonNeutral® Protocol does not require the inclusion of well-to-tank (WTT) upstream fuel-cycle emissions for business travel or employee commuting when reporting emissions. However, organizations are \u003Ci>strongly encouraged\u003C\u002Fi> to include WTT emissions to more fully capture the climate impact of travel.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e595a3c01d2daba8349a0d9f1510c9fcd\">This is following the direction of other frameworks, as organizations such as SBTi require WTT emissions for business travel and employee commuting to be included in Scope 3 reporting. \u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The following updates have been applied to the 2026 edition of the CarbonNeutral® Protocol, and are deemed to apply retrospectively to previous editions of the Protocol.  \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Ci>These changes have been made in relation and correspondence to the \u003C\u002Fi>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fd3r2tb0dm50y5v.cloudfront.net\u002Ffiles\u002Fdownloads\u002FCarbonNeutral-Certification-Verification-Framework-V1.3.1.pdf\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Ci>Certification Verification Framework\u003C\u002Fi>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Ci>, published in 2026.  \u003C\u002Fi>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e4b8f67c63e58f9e0f3a77335d61bd36f\">Introduction of verification requirements for organizations impacted by the EU Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive.\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e18d544a5498a859f760252e1aae165cd\">See verification framework \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fd3r2tb0dm50y5v.cloudfront.net\u002Ffiles\u002Fdownloads\u002FCarbonNeutral-Certification-Verification-Framework-V1.3.1.pdf\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">here\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e0acd2328cab9560437cc99e4afe113f9\">Materiality clarification\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"ef5cb7e22b363f9310f32d15c6f35affd\">Emissions sources and categories may be excluded from GHG Assessments where they are not material.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"ebd4daf232cd6bb0b5cb8c54f43cd0469\">Data and certification period applicability change\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e674c2ca5f2558bdcdbd1d9c5130f4cd5\">The applicable window for the data period and corresponding certification period has been extended to be no greater than 12 months, rather than nine.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"eeec10341b5767fa2ff0164f5fcfbdeb2\">Updated guidance for use of attestation forms for approved providers\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"ed765d70af39ae198a20fab8028381883\">Providing relevant information to the certifier through use of an attestation form has been changed to a recommendation rather than a requirement.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"eee414a368e28017255083fa0c4d0fdbc\">Updated guidance on presentation of data\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e78de91209c9cf78a3ff7d6ad12a9f33a\">Presentation of data requirements in Section 2.3 are recommended rather than required.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"eeceb7a1080938f54aad35fae7b47bf47\">Updated public disclosure requirements\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e44bbf2d13c1c7c4ce5c315d86c7cec8d\">Public disclosure requirements in Table 13 have been updated to recommended and within relevant sections.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"eff9f21ded78e933e673a949e6a45d8e4\">Updated requirements regarding internal abatement\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e3d8273d4ff32c44fa79c9128aec9a6c4\">Reporting requirements regarding internal abatement  in Section 4.1 have been updated.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"e7ae0d4649110bad744983cb44ef53952\">Addressing non-standard cases\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\"ebb36e21f6aeee76132329686e17eb9db\">Specification of non-standard or exceptional cases being reviewed and approved by the certifier when deemed appropriate has been included. \u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>","171529",[47],{"data":48,"component":51},{"index":49,"type":50,"textBlock":44},0,"basicText","BasicTextModule",1792422507806]