This issue is about web footer badges (or “web trust marks”). Here’s an example:
How many of those icons do you recognise? How many can you define? You probably recognise the comforting “grumpy cyclops” B Corp logo. But Race to Zero? We Declare a Climate Emergency? What do they mean?
What’s the difference between Certified Climate Neutral and Climate Neutral Certified? Or Carbon Neutral and Net Zero? Does it matter?
I made this guide to educate myself on the topic. And many of my assumptions about these labels were wrong.
The four varieties of climate-related trust mark
I spent a rainy afternoon in December collecting trust marks from a mix of ethics-led design agencies and sustainable product companies, and split them into four buckets.
Certified / Auditied
Logos earned by being a paid member of a certification program. Includes B Corps and the various “carbon neutral” accreditations.
Paid membership schemes
Logos paid for by donation or subscription to a particular scheme, usually a non-profit. Includes 1% for the Planet.
Manifestos / Declarations
All you have to do is sign a declaration, pledge or manifesto. These aren’t audited.
Misc Neat Things
Other footer widgets that caught my eye.
Certified / audited
Certified B Corp
To get the Certified B Corp badge, you have to pay between $500 and $50,000, then pass a rigorous audit process that cover all aspects of your business - from governance to workforce policies. This means a company can get certified by being great in a few categories while scoring poorly elsewhere. In other words, a B Corp logo is not a guarentee of good climate policies.
B Corps aren’t required to be carbon neutral, or even to measure emissions, or have a climate plan.
Half of young Americans recognize the B Corp logo, and are “significantly likely” to be positively influenced.
B Corp web agencies examples: MightyBytes (a Chicago Digital Agency), Torchbox UK.
…Nespresso is also a B Corp.
B Corp Climate Scores
To see how a company measures up on climate, find them in the B Corp Directory and look at Impact Score > Environment > Air & Climate. Companies can earn between 7 and 15 Impact points (depending on their industry and other factors). I couldn’t find the complete scorecard, but “carry out a comprehensive GHG audit” is worth about 3.7 points.
Criticisms
Some companies may be using the standard as a form of greenwashing (“The B Corp standard is at risk”). The Nespresso example shows that you can adhere to the standard and while having a questionable overall impact.
ISO certified 14064
“[ISO] Standards define what great looks like, setting consistent benchmarks for businesses and consumers alike — ensuring reliability, building trust, and simplifying choices.”
The venerable ISO organization have helpfully tagged their standards against UN Sustainable Development Goals, including 14064, the standard for reporting GHG. This is earned by adopting carbon accounting practices and working with an accredited 3rd party to audit your gasses.
Certified Carbon.. Climate Neutral Certified…?
They sound alike but are not interchangable - they differ in how they measure CO2 and how they account for offsetting.
Compare against Scope 3
One rough & ready way to compare these labels is to look at how they account for Scope 3 Indirect emissions, such as employee travel and commuting. There are ~15 Scope 3 categories. Not all apply to all businesses, but it seems reasonable to say that the more categories included, the better.
CarbonNeutral: “Certified CarbonNeutral” badge
Owned by climateimpact.com, a vendor of voluntary carbon credits.
Clients: over 400, including Microsoft, Logitech, Yorkshire Tea.
Scope 3 categories: 1/15. “Third party transport of solid goods to first customer”. Ref.
Climate Label: “Climate Neutral Certified” and “Climate Label Certified” badges
Run by The Change Climate Project non-profit, founded by partners from Peak Design and BioLite. Charity Navigator rates them 85%.
Clients: 290, including Peak Design, REI, Allbirds.
Scope 3 categories: 8/15. Ref.
“ClimatePartner Certified Company”
Munich based for-profit.
6000 clients. And a partnership with Volkswagen.
Scope 3 categories: 9/15. Ref.
“Carbon Neutral” - Stripe Climate
I’ve ranted about Stripe Climate at length already.
Paid membership schemes (minimal auditing)
1% for the planet
Started by Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard.
Fees range from $500 to $50,000 (for $100m+ companies).
Requirements: “Donate 1% of your annual sales directly to organizations in our environmental partners network.” 1% is the minimum - businesses can give more.
Raised $691 million to date.
Charity Navigator likes them (98% rating); so does Guidestar / Candid.
Mossy Earth Rewilding Membership
Their org statement. Transparency Dashboard.
Ecologi
UK based for-profit with a suite of climate-related services from impact funds to eCommerce-integrated offsetting. When you see the ecologi badge on an agency website, it probably refers to their employee climate action workforce offering.
Is it good value? Depends on how much they pay to plant a tree.
Ecologi has a nice & simple impact LookerStudio dashboard.
Creatives for Climate / Ethical Agency Alliance
A connection hub. Free and paid memberships. Funded by the EU. Linked to RaceToZero (UN).
Declarations & Manifestos
Voluntary self-declarations. No audit or compliance checks, no fees.
Sustainable Web Manifesto
Hosted by Wholegrain Digital. 4,266 signatories. Simply declare that you will uphold the manifesto principals - clean, efficient, open, honest, regenerative, resilient.
Design Declares (UK)
UK-based scheme. See also: a nice case study of web carbon reduction by MEK.
Clean Creatives pledge
“Our agency will decline any future contracts with fossil fuel companies, trade associations, or front groups.”
They host this handy list of fossil companies and fronts.
The Sustainable Creative Charter
Free. 250 members. Nice looking badge.
Misc Neat Things
ClimatePerks
…the employee benefits scheme which gives staff the opportunity to take extra days off work if they choose low-carbon travel rather than flying when they go on holiday.
A nifty idea and a great employee benefit.
Website carbon counters
Get yours: websitecarbon.com/badge/ . I love the 90’s internet vibe.
ClimateClock.world
Stray thoughts
Do users notice trust marks? Maybe. People do look at footers, for instance to find contact details.
Do users care about trust marks? I found spotty evidence - for instance, younger users recongise and respond positivly to a B Corp logo. And this from Nielsen: “…81% of global respondents felt strongly that companies should help improve the environment, and 73% said they would change their consumption habits to reduce their environmental impact.
Other newsletters to follow
Victor Lombardi’s Climate Design
Wholegrain Digital’s Curiously Green