Eligibility
The Climate Label is a leading symbol of climate action by consumer goods and business services companies. Companies may seek certification of a corporate entity, subsidiary, or brand, but not of selected, individual products or services. To protect the integrity and reputation of The Climate Label and related marks, companies within sectors that appear on the Restrictions on Eligibility for Certification list are ineligible for certification.
The certification is offered primarily to business entities; however, entities such as events or film projects may be eligible to achieve certification if they meet the Standard and demonstrate alignment with the mission and goals of The Change Climate Project (TCCP), which administers The Climate Label.
01 Measure
Requirements for Greenhouse Gas Inventories
a. Measurement Boundary
Entities seeking certification in 2026 must count their cradle-to-customer emissions from the full 2025 calendar year. This includes emissions related to all products, services, and business activities. Fiscal year data may be used as long as six or more months overlap with the 2025 calendar year.
Measurement boundaries are based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and include all Scope 1 emissions, all Scope 2 emissions, and 8 out of the 15 categories of Scope 3 emissions, as shown below.
Table 1: Measurement Boundary Requirements
scope 1
Direct Emissions
- Fossil fuels used at your facilities
- Fuel consumed by your vehicles
scope 2
Indirect Emissions
- Electricity used at your facilities
- Steam bought and used at your facilities
scope 3
* Required for Finance and Investment Firms — See Section 1g.
b. Data Requirements
Use of activity data vs. modeled or estimated data: Certifying entities are encouraged to use activity data or physical data for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and for Scope 3 categories with emissions equal to or more than 5% of the total inventory. Companies with science-aligned reduction targets must use activity data or physical data (e.g., kilowatt-hours, not dollars spent on electricity) for Scopes 1 & 2 starting in their second annual certification year.
c. Inventory Measurement & Verification
While all GHG inventories must follow the boundaries defined in Table 1, measurement and verification requirements depend on the certifying entity’s annual revenues.1 Once the GHG inventory has been submitted, TCCP evaluators will review it for compliance with the Standard.
1 If multiple subsidiary entities within a larger company seek to achieve certification, the combined revenue of all certified entities will be used to determine certification requirements.
Table 2: Measurement and Verification Requirements
Small certifying entities:
2025 revenues below $5 million
Estimate your emissions using the Business Emissions Evaluator (BEE) or equivalent pre-approved tool using sector, geography, financial, and other firmographic data. Third party verification is not required.
Medium certifying entities:
2025 revenues $5-100 million
Prepare a measurement report, detailing total emissions by scope and category, generated using the Business Emissions Evaluator (BEE), a third-party calculator, or an internally-built tool, as long as it aligns to the GHG Protocol and meets the measurement boundary requirements. Third party verification is not required.
Refer to Section 1g. for exceptions.
Large certifying entities:
2025 revenues above $100 million
Prepare a measurement report, detailing total emissions by scope and category, generated using the Business Emissions Evaluator (BEE), a third-party calculator, or an internally-built tool, as long as it aligns to the GHG Protocol and meets measurement boundary requirements. A third-party verifier must review the inventory (see below for details).
d. Requirements for Third-Party Verification and Assurance
When required, all third-party carbon inventory verifications should follow five common principles: relevance, completeness, consistency, transparency, and accuracy. Assurance reports must conform to one of these standards: ISO 14064-3, ISAE3000, ISAE 3410, or Corporate GHG verification guidelines from ERT. Assurance reports must specify the level of assurance provided by the report as either limited or reasonable.
Third-party verifiers (e.g. environmental auditors or consultants) must be able to demonstrate the following:
- At least five years of corporate history working in carbon accounting and/or lifecycle analysis at product and company levels, with at least 25 documented client engagements involving corporate or product level footprints.
- At least five years of corporate history auditing and/or verifying corporate GHG footprints of companies with over $100 million in annual revenue.
- Ability to demonstrate independent control and ownership from the company under review to avoid any conflicts of interest.
- Ability to act as an unbiased third party in the verification process.
- At least five years of corporate history with one or more of the third-party verification standards referenced in this Section 2d.
e. Counting Clean Energy Purchases
Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs, such as RECs and GOs) that are bundled with or unbundled from energy purchases may be used to make “market-based” adjustments to the Scope 2 emissions tied to electricity consumption, but the adjustment must not exceed the quantity consumed. Inventory submissions must include both location-based and market-based totals, where applicable, and all Climate Transition Budget calculations (see Section 3) will use the market-based total.
Vintages of all EACs used to make market adjustments must fall within the three years up to and including the certification year. For example, when pursuing certification in 2026, EACs must have a vintage of 2024, 2025 or 2026. EACs must originate within the market where the electricity consumption occurs.
If there is a question about the eligibility of renewable energy instruments, TCCP evaluators will defer to the GHG Protocol.
f. Corrections to Greenhouse Gas Inventories
In the case of errors or omissions that exceed a 5% materiality threshold from a prior submission, the certified entity must restate emissions from the affected year(s). In the case of lower restated emissions, companies may carry forward, up to one year, any excess invested Climate Transition Budget amounts. In the case of higher restated emissions, companies are encouraged, but not required, to cover any prior year Climate Transition Budget (CTB) deficits by exceeding the then-current year’s CTB minimum.
g. Exceptions for Certain Businesses
Medium certifying entities whose revenues are derived more than 80% from services activities may elect to be treated as Small certifying entities for the purpose of Measurement and Verification Requirements.
Certifying entities with significant financial holdings must also measure Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 3.15 emissions following PCAF standards. Institutions assumed to have significant financial holdings include asset managers/owners, retail and commercial banks, insurance companies (when functioning as asset managers), real estate investment trusts (REITs), and companies with at least 5% of revenue associated with these activities.
02 Plan
Requirements for Planning
a. Reduction Action Planning
Certifying entities must submit a minimum of two Reduction Action Plans (RAPs) that describe specific actions to reduce emissions within the next 12-24 months. If a certifying entity has annual revenues over $5 million, at least one RAP must apply to Scope 3 emissions.
b. Target Setting
Certifying entities with over $100 million in annual revenues must pledge to reduce their emissions to net zero by 2050 and set one or more near-term, science-aligned emissions reduction target (e.g. for 2030). Targets must apply (at a minimum) to all emissions included in Table 1.
Targets may be set using the TCCP methodology for science-aligned target setting; alternatively, they may follow the Exponential Roadmap’s “Carbon Law” of 50% absolute reduction by 2030, or be formally validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative following either cross-sector or sector-specific guidance, if applicable. Targets must aim to limit global heating to a 1.5°C or Well-below 2°C warming scenario.
Entities with less than $100 million in annual revenues are encouraged, but not required, to set a near-term science-aligned target.
c. Reduction Progress
All re-certifying entities must annually submit the following data to enable tracking of progress toward reduction action plans and science-aligned targets:
- Absolute emissions
- Emissions intensity
- Reduction Action Plan completion status
Certifying entities are encouraged to complete RAPs within two years of setting them and demonstrate emission reductions that track with near-term science-aligned targets.
d. Exceptions for Certain Businesses
Small certifying entities with annual revenues under $2 million must set at least one (1) RAP.
Small and Medium certifying entities whose revenues are derived more than 80% from services activities are encouraged, but not required, to meet the criteria in Section 2.
03 Fund
3.1 Climate Transition Budget
The Climate Transition Budget (CTB) is a company’s minimum total required funding for the net-zero transition, and brings financial structure and transparency to corporate targets and climate transition plans.
Certifying entities must calculate a CTB to determine their minimum funding requirement for qualifying projects across Value Chain Abatement (VCA), Beyond Value Chain (BVC), and Other Contributions (OC). Companies are encouraged, but not required, to exceed the minimum.
a. Carbon Fee
The CTB is the product of the total GHG inventory (tCO2e) and the carbon fee for the year in which certification occurs (see Table 3). A preliminary CTB may be calculated for planning purposes at any time during Measurement. A final CTB must be calculated using assured inventory data.
Table 3: Carbon fee ($/tonne in USD)
.
Scope 1, 2, & 3 emissions
2026
$15
2027
$16
2028
$17
2029
avail. Sept. 2026
.
Scope 1, 2, & 3 emissions
2026
$15
2027
$16
2028
$17
2029
avail. Sept. 2026
b. Required CTB Allotment to Value Chain Abatement (VCA)
A minimum portion of the CTB must be allotted to qualifying VCA projects (defined in Section 3.2), following the minimum percentages in Table 4. There is no cap.2
Table 4: Minimum VCA allotment
.
< $100m annual revenue
> $100m annual revenue
2026
10%
20%*
2027
10%
30%*
2028
10%
30%*
< $100m annual revenue
2026
10%
2027
10%
2028
10%
> $100m annual revenue
2026
20%*
2027
30%*
2028
30%*
* See Section 3e.
2 For example, in 2025, a company with a CTB of $100,000 must allot at least $10,000 to VCA projects and up to $90,000 to BVC projects. It could, alternatively, split the CTB 50/50 between VCA/BVC. It could also choose to exceed the CTB and allot $150,000 to VCA.
c. CTB Allotment to Beyond Value Chain (BVC) projects and Other Contributions
The portion of the CTB that is not allotted to VCA must be allotted to BVC projects and/or Other Contributions, following the requirements listed in Sections 3.3 and 3.4 below. A maximum of 15% of the CTB may be allotted to Other Contributions.
d. Requirements for Timing of Investments
Timing of VCA funding must include new expenditures (capital or operating) made or accrued during four consecutive quarters in the certification year and/or the emissions year that contribute toward reducing value chain emissions. Certifying entities may choose their time frame based on their spending and budgeting practices.
BVC investments and Other Contributions may take place during the emissions year or the certification year, up to the date of submission.
[Note: The certification year is the year in which the certification process is completed, and the emissions year is the year preceding certification.]
e. Exception for Certain Businesses
Certifying entities with >$100m in annual revenue that are seeking certification for the first time or whose revenues are derived more than 80% from services activities may meet a minimum VCA allotment of 10%.
3.2 Value Chain Abatement
Qualified Value Chain Abatement (VCA) funding supports projects undertaken to reduce emissions within a company’s direct operations or supply chain. Most VCA projects involve direct funding for equipment or direct costs that meet eligibility criteria. However, certain VCA projects may be accessed through market-based instruments. Where eligible, these are noted in Table 5 and in the Technical Appendix. Requirements for documentation of VCA projects are provided in the Technical Appendix.
Refer to Section 3.1.b for required funding thresholds.
a. VCA Project Criteria
Certifying entities must determine their top sources of emissions and are encouraged to fund VCA projects with the highest potential to achieve reductions across their Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
VCA projects must be linked to activities that are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions below levels that would be expected without the VCA investment. VCA projects do not qualify if they include equipment (other than energy-generating equipment) upgrades that would happen due to regular replacement of depreciated equipment, or capacity expansion projects needed to support business growth. VCA projects do not qualify if they are otherwise required in order to comply with an existing law or regulation.
Table 5: Eligible VCA Categories
Spend Requirement:
10% minimum; no maximum share of the CTB
Eligible Expenditures*
Materials and Manufacturing
.
Low-carbon material purchases
> Purchase of low-carbon input alternatives
Price premium
> Additional direct costs
Low-carbon material integration
> Equipment to support integration of new materials, components, or technologies
Capital/lease/services costs
Material use efficiency
> Equipment to reduce emissions from material inputs and waste
Capital/lease/services costs
GHG capture equipment
Capital/lease/services costs
Energy Procurement and Production
.
Low-carbon electricity and fuels
> PPAs/VPPAs bundled with RECs/EACs
> Voluntary green tariffs
> SAF credits, ZEMBA credits, etc.
Price premium
> Additional direct costs
Clean energy generation
> Solar panels, wind turbines, etc.
Capital/lease/services costs
Direct fuel switching
> Low-carbon fuel conversion
Capital/lease/services costs
Efficiency and Electrification
.
Energy efficiency
> Lighting, HVAC, other building efficiency
> Manufacturing process efficiency
Capital/lease/services costs
Efficient logistics
> Low carbon shipping
Price premium
> Additional direct cost for services
Electrification
> Installation of heat pumps
> Installation of clean cooking equipment
> Conversion to EV fleets
> Charging stations / EVSE
Capital/lease/services costs
Natural Climate Solutions
.
> Reforestation/afforestation
> Regenerative agriculture/soil carbon sequestration
> Ecosystem/habitat restoration
Capital/lease/services costs
Spend Requirement:
at least 10% of the CTB (2025)
Materials and Manufacturing
Low-carbon material purchases
> Purchase of low-carbon input alternatives
Eligible Expenditures*
Price premium
> Additional direct costs
Low-carbon material switching
> Equipment to support integration of new technologies, materials, products, or processes
Eligible Expenditures*
Capital/lease/services costs
GHG capture equipment
Eligible Expenditures*
Capital/lease/services costs
Energy Procurement and Production
Low-carbon electricity
> PPAs/VPPAs bundled with RECs/EACs
> Voluntary green tariffs
Eligible Expenditures*
Price premium
> Additional direct costs
Clean energy generation
> Solar panels, wind turbines, etc.
> Cost to install equipment on supplier’s facility
Eligible Expenditures*
Capital/lease/services costs
Direct fuel switching
> Cost to transition suppliers to consuming lower carbon fuels
Eligible Expenditures*
Capital/lease/services costs
Efficiency and Electrification
Energy efficiency
> Lighting, HVAC, other building efficiency
> Manufacturing process efficiency
Eligible Expenditures*
Capital/lease/services costs
Efficient logistics
> Low carbon shipping
Eligible Expenditures*
Price premium
> Additional direct costs
Electrification
> Installation of heat pumps
> Installation of clean cooking equipment
> Conversion to EV fleets
> Charging stations / EVSE
Eligible Expenditures*
Capital/lease/services costs
* Please refer to the Technical Appendix for more information about project eligibility.
3.3 Beyond Value Chain
Qualifying Beyond Value Chain (BVC) funding supports projects that reduce emissions adjacent to or beyond the company’s value chain. BVC projects yield GHG reductions that are not reflected in a company’s GHG inventory.
Some projects outside the value chain are funded through market-based instruments. Others entail direct funding or co-investment in reduction projects in an entity’s broader economic or geographic market or beyond its value chain. Eligible BVC project types are noted in Table 6. Requirements for documentation of BVC projects are provided in the Technical Appendix.
Refer to Section 3.1.c for required funding thresholds.
Table 6: Eligible BVC Project Types
Spend Requirement:
no minimum; maximum 90% of CTB
Eligible ExpendituresEligible Expenditures
Market-based Instruments
.Eligible
Carbon credits
> Nature-based avoidance and removals credits
> Energy and industry avoidance and removals credits (includes CDR)
Direct share of costs
Electricity Certificates
> Unbundled RECs, GOs, etc
Direct share of costs
Low carbon fuel certificates
> SAF certificates, ZEMBA credits, etc.
Direct share of costs
Directly Funded Mitigation Projects
.Eligible
Value chain-adjacent projects
> Occurring within an entity’s broader economic or geographic market (see project types in Table 5)
See Table 5
Global mitigation projects
> Occurring fully outside of an entity’s value chain, geography, and market region (see project types in Table 5)
See Table 5
Spend Requirement:
no minimum; no maximum
Voluntary carbon market
Carbon credits
> Nature-based avoidance and removals credits
> Energy and industry avoidance and removals credits (incl. CDR)
Eligible Expenditures
Direct share of costs
Other market-based instruments
Energy Attribute Certificates
> unbundled RECs, GOs, etc
Eligible Expenditures
Direct share of costs
Zero-emission transport credits
> SAF, ZEMBA, etc
Eligible Expenditures
Direct share of costs
a. Market-Based Instruments
In general, market-based instruments for GHG mitigation may show up in a variety of places in a company’s climate portfolio. Direct procurement by the certifying entity is the commonest approach, although instruments may be purchased by third party entities on behalf of the certifying entity, by third parties for the benefit of value chain partners, etc. Each of these situations can be different, although with few exceptions, the requirements for the underlying market-based instruments are consistent regardless of how and for whom they are purchased.
i. Requirements for Carbon Credits
Acceptable Methodologies for Third-Party Verification
Carbon credits must be verified under methodologies from one of the following carbon crediting programs: Gold Standard, Verified Carbon Standard, Climate Action Reserve, American Carbon Registry, or European Biochar Certificate.
In addition, all carbon credits that meet the ICVCM’s Core Carbon Principles (“CCP-approved methodologies”) as of the date of purchase are eligible, regardless of methodology, as long as they meet the vintage year restrictions in this Section 3.3.
Carbon credits from project categories that have specifically received a status of “Does not meet” on the ICVCM website as of December 31, 2025 are not eligible to be used toward certification.
Vintage Year Restriction
All carbon credits from forestry and land-use projects must have a vintage year from 2019 to 2025. All carbon credits from other project types must have a vintage year from 2022 to 2025.
Eligible CArbon Credit Types and Categories
All carbon credit purchases must be from the approved project categories and types in Table 7. Certifying entities are encouraged, but not required, to follow the portfolio allocation principles outlined in the Oxford Principles for Net-Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting.
Third-party carbon credit Ratings
Certifying entities are encouraged, but not required, to evaluate third-party project ratings from providers including BeZero, Calyx Global, Renoster, and Sylvera.
Table 7: Eligible Carbon Credit Types
Project Categories
Eligible Project Types
Eligible Vintage Years
Emissions Removed or Avoided From Nature
Agriculture & Grasslands: e.g. avoided ecosystem conversion, grassland & rangeland management, soil carbon, biochar
Blue Carbon: e.g. mangroves, coastal conservation, wetland & seagrass restoration
Forestry: e.g. afforestation, avoided deforestation, improved forest management, peatland restoration, REDD+, reforestation
2019 to 2025
Emissions Avoided from Energy and Industry
Chemical / Industrial: e.g. manufacturing, high-GWP gas capture, N2O abatement
Household & Community: e.g. cookstoves, composting, household energy efficiency, water filtration
Renewable Energy: e.g. biomass, geothermal, small-scale hydropower*, solar, wind
Transportation: e.g. electric vehicles
2022 to 2025
Carbon Dioxide Removals (CDR)**
Engineered Removals: e.g. direct air carbon capture
Open System Carbon Removals: e.g. oceans, mineralization
2022 to 2025
Excluded Project Types
HFC-23 Destruction
Large-scale Energy Efficiency in non-LDCs***
Large-scale Hydro
Tokenized credits
n/a (not allowed)
Emissions Removed or Avoided From Nature
Eligible Project Types
Agriculture & Grasslands: e.g. avoided ecosystem conversion, grassland & rangeland management, soil carbon, biochar
Blue Carbon: e.g. mangroves, coastal conservation, wetland & seagrass restoration
Forestry: e.g. afforestation, avoided deforestation, improved forest management, peatland restoration, REDD+, reforestation
Eligible Vintage Years
2018 to 2024
Emissions Avoided from Energy and Industry
Eligible Project Types
Chemical / Industrial: e.g. manufacturing, high-GWP gas capture, N2O abatement
Household & Community: e.g. cookstoves, composting, household energy efficiency, water filtration
Renewable Energy: e.g. biomass, geothermal, small-scale hydropower*, solar, wind
Transportation: e.g. electric vehicles
Eligible Vintage Years
2018 to 2024
Carbon Dioxide Removals (CDR)**
Eligible Project Types
Engineered Removals: e.g. direct air carbon capture
Open System Carbon Removals: e.g. oceans, mineralization
Eligible Vintage Years
2018 to 2024
Excluded Project Types
Eligible Project Types
HFC-23 Destruction
Large-scale Energy Efficiency in non-LDCs***
Large-scale HydroTokenized credits
Eligible Vintage Years
n/a (not allowed)
* “Small-scale" follows UN CDM definitions (i.e., < 15MW for renewables and < 60 GWh in annual improvements from energy efficiency)
** Carbon Dioxide Removals apply to new project types where methodologies have not yet been developed, so verification is not possible.
*** A list of the UN’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs) can be found here.
ii. Requirements for Other Market-Based Instruments
Electricity Certificates & Low Carbon Fuel Certificates
Funding for RECs, GOs, and other market-based instruments such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) certificates and zero-emission shipping credits may be eligible in the BVC category, provided that the instruments have not been used to make market-based adjustments to emissions reported anywhere in the GHG inventory.
For electricity certificates: vintage year must fall within the three years up to and including the certification year; location must fall within market region of energy consumption; quantity must not exceed the amount measured in the GHG inventory.
For SAF certificates: instruments must meet the SABA SAFc Standard.
Open Allocation for Non-Conforming Carbon Instruments
Up to 15% of the total investment in BVC projects may fund market-based instruments that do not conform to the requirements above, because they have not yet been verified (and have not been rejected) under one or more of the qualifying carbon crediting programs, and/or have not yet been issued and retired. This provision is intended to shape the markets by encouraging supply-side growth of high quality projects, emerging methodologies, and early-stage CDR markets.
Open Allocation (OA) projects will be reviewed by TCCP evaluators on a case-by-case basis, with eligible projects requiring reasonable supporting evidence that their benefits outweigh their harms. Additionally, the project must have a clear market-shaping role, with active involvement of the project sponsor in stakeholder-driven efforts to advance quality, integrity, and positive market outcomes in a nascent industry. Examples of eligible OA projects may include carbon removal purchases, Advanced Market Commitments, and offtake agreements.
b. Directly Funded Mitigation Projects
Some projects outside the value chain are accessed by providing direct funding for GHG mitigation activities. To be eligible, all Directly Funded projects must help reduce global GHG emissions. GHG reductions from Directly Funded projects do not affect the certifying entity’s GHG inventory.
Projects may be “value chain-adjacent,” because they target emissions within the broader community, economic, or geographic markets adjacent to the value chain. Or the projects may be “global” and take place entirely outside of the value chain.
All projects should create positive impacts for communities, landscapes and/or ecosystems, and be able to demonstrate emissions benefits through, at a minimum, documentation of baseline, additionality, and permanence.
Eligible BVC value-chain adjacent project types are identical to those identified in Table 5 “Eligible VCA Project Categories”.
Note: A project that is value chain-adjacent falls under BVC unless the certifying entity can demonstrate that its GHG mitigation benefits affect the Scope 3 inventory, citing a credible third party standard (for example, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol or the AIM Platform).
3.4 Other Contributions to the Net Zero Transition
Qualifying Other Contributions (OC) provide funding for projects that are expected to indirectly accelerate the global net-zero transition. Total funding for eligible OC projects must not exceed 15% of the CTB.
Refer to the Technical Appendix for documentation requirements for Other Contribution projects.
Table 8: Eligible Categories for Other Contributions
Spend Requirement:
no minimum; maximum of 15% of the CTB
Eligible Expenditures
Planning, Research, and Development
.
Capacity-building & change management
> Sourcing strategy
> Staff salaries
Direct share of costs
Net zero consulting services
> GHG accounting, Life Cycle Assessments, climate strategy planning
Direct share of costs
Software
> Carbon accounting tools
> Supplier engagement tools
Direct share of costs
Market Transformation Initiatives
.
Supplier engagement initiatives and collaborations
> Low-carbon fuel buyer groups
> Pre-competitive procurement work for low-carbon materials
Direct share of costs
Initiatives to reduce demand for raw materials
> Circularity
> Targeted material takeback programs
Direct share of costs
Climate policy advocacy
> Direct pro-climate lobbying
> Support for pro-climate lobbying organizations
> Get-out-the-climate-vote campaigns
Direct share of costs
Climate Literacy Initiatives
> Employee climate engagement & training
Direct share of costs
Just transition initiatives
> Contributions to organizations that develop projects with a combined climate and community impact or benefit
Direct share of costs
Capital for the Net-Zero Transition
.
Investments in equity or debt at below market rates that accelerate clean energy deployment
> Loans or loan guarantees
> Subordinate equity positions
Principal amount of investment
Spend Requirement
no minimum; maximum of 15% of the CTB (2025)
Planning, Research, and Development
Capacity-building & change management
> Sourcing strategy
> Staff salaries
Eligible Expenditures
Direct share of costs
Net zero consulting services
> GHG accounting, Life Cycle Assessments, climate strategy planning
Eligible Expenditures
Direct share of costs
Software
> Carbon accounting tools
> Supplier engagement tools
Eligible Expenditures
Direct share of costs
Market Transformation Initiatives
Supplier engagement initiatives and collaborations
Eligible Expenditures
Participation fees
Climate policy advocacy
> Direct pro-climate lobbying
> Support for pro-climate lobbying organizations
> Get-out-the-climate-vote campaigns
Eligible Expenditures
Direct share of costs
Employee Education and Training
> Employee climate engagement & training
Eligible Expenditures
Direct share of costs
Just transition initiatives
> Contributions to organizations that develop projects with a combined climate and community impact or benefit
Eligible Expenditures
Direct share of costs
Capital for the Net-Zero Transition
Investments in equity or debt at below market rates that accelerate clean energy deployment
> Loans or loan guarantees
> Subordinate equity positions
Eligible Expenditures
Principal amount of investment
04 Amplify
Certifying entities must demonstrate that they are using their influence to advocate for climate progress. In addition, entities must complete reporting and disclosure requirements to make their climate actions transparent to customers, employees, and other stakeholders.
a. Advocacy
Applications for certification must include a brief written description of climate advocacy activities completed in the prior calendar year. This reporting informs aggregate impact reporting across The Climate Label Certified community and will not be made public.
- Climate Label Usage: Entities are required to report on their usage of The Climate Label in their marketing channels.
- Climate Policy Advocacy: Efforts to support climate policy at all levels of government, independently or in collaboration with an advocacy or trade organization.
- Employee Climate Literacy: Efforts to engage your team in The Climate Label certification process and conduct education sessions to increase staff understanding of climate issues.
- Consumer Climate Literacy: Engage consumers in The Climate Label certification process and importance of climate action. Re-certifying companies must report evidence of at least one (1) example of the label in use on either digital or physical materials.
b. Reporting and Disclosure
Entities with active certifications must, at a minimum, disclose the following information in the Brand Profile Directory on the public website of The Change Climate Project:
- GHG inventory totals for the emissions year, categorized as Scope 1, 2, and/or 3 emissions, including any market-based adjustments (if applicable) and any emissions corrections/adjustments. Reporting of historical total emissions by year is encouraged, but not required.
- Total annual emissions intensity figures for the emissions year and all available prior certification years.
- Summary of reduction action plans and science-aligned targets (if set).
- Progress toward past reduction action plans.
- Total amount of the CTB and investment allocations to VCA projects, BVC projects, and Other Contributions.
- A list of the project types supported by BVC investments.
- Types of products and/or services provided by the certifying entity.
