> The Standard > Comparison to other schemes

The Carbon Trust Standard has a different focus to many other environmental and carbon schemes - it only rewards organisations that achieve emissions reductions through their own actions.

However, the Standard is also complementary to other initiatives:

Offsetting and carbon neutrality

Many organisations purchase carbon “offsets” (emissions reduction certificates generated by projects in the developing world) to compensate for the emissions they generate. Some organisations aim to achieve “neutrality” by purchasing offsets equivalent to their total emissions. The Carbon Trust Standard does not give credit for offsets – as the Standard requires organisations to take responsibility for reducing their own emissions directly.

The Carbon Trust recommends that organisations should prioritise reducing their own emissions and the emissions of their supply chain before using offsets. Gaining the Carbon Trust Standard is a key first step in developing a robust offsetting strategy.

GHG Protocol and the Carbon Disclosure Project

The Carbon Trust Standard follows the Greenhouse Gas Protocol – the most widely recognised emissions reporting approach. This approach also underpins the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), an investor led initiative for disclosure of corporate emissions. Information collected in accordance with the GHG Protocol will help your organisation achieve the Standard and prepare your CDP disclosure.

By achieving certification against the Carbon Trust Standard, organisations can demonstrate their emissions reduction success – as well as their commitment to transparency and disclosure via the CDP.

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