Webinar Replay: 2026 Sustainability Outlook. Get clarity on CSRD, ISSB, UK SRS, SBTi & more Watch now
Webinar Replay: 2026 Sustainability Outlook. Get clarity on CSRD, ISSB, UK SRS, SBTi & more Watch now
51-0’s mission is to help corporates reduce carbon in the atmosphere. We want to publicly recognise and thank those organisations who have invested time and resource in taking carbon reduction seriously. To do this, we have developed a stringent Certification which we believe can become a global standard.
Can you measure scope 1, 2 and essential scope 3 in a verifiable way that is automated (for repeat measurement – essential for accountability), tagged, for accountability in a way that brings carbon alive for your organisation?
Do you set ambitious targets that are within the UN guidelines (currently 1.5c) or better, with clear milestones leading towards net zero?
Have you allocated initiative owners, involved them in target setting, given them plans for carbon reduction accelerated programmes? This includes procurement on the supply side and marketing on the demand side.
Do you manage success regularly in a way that identifies real progress, issues and bottlenecks. Are these discussed regularly and resolved at senior level if necessary. Does the board have sustainability on agenda? Are you transparent about success within the company.
Do you know if you are achieving the targets you set up as part of the plan? Are you tracking absolutes and intensity indexes and keeping up with changes to the organisation, its supply chain and core systems.
Have you identified how your organisation needs to change its strategy, what it does day to day, what it measures, how it rewards to deliver sustainability?
Have you identified, engaged and mobilised employees, suppliers, investors, customers and community leaders in your programme.
To you invest in sustainability or sequestration innovations, contribute to ‘best practice’ knowledge, have a plan to be carbon positive?
We examine a number of practices spread across the boxes above. For each practice we describe 4 states, from Beginner to Planet-Hero class.
After a thorough client briefing, the cloud-based assessment is completed by the Client, where their programme director and team of experts identify their state for each of the practices and attach evidence to back it up. It takes about a day of their time to do this.
When the client has completed their assessment, a 51-0 carbon expert reviews the answers and the evidence. We hold a detailed Q/A workshop with the client to check submissions, ask questions, challenge and rescore if necessary. This takes another day of their time.
If the client qualifies, we then offer Certification which lasts one year and can be used in Client PR, on their website or on product packaging. We also request to use the Client logo in our publications. Depending on the score, the client will receive one of the three awards below. We also provide the client with a development plan to show how they can improve their certification.
The Bronze standard shows that the company is well on its way to managing the reduction in emissions. It has invested in good measurement and is building accountability and governance to help keep it on track. Carbon neutral practices could be applied deeper and broader into the company and it is convincing senior stakeholders to do just that. The company will have received a plan to help them do this.
We estimate that only about 50% of companies will achieve this.
“This company is taking its responsibility to reduce its carbon emissions seriously and is progressing to the next level.”
The Silver standard shows that the company is doing an outstanding job on the way to reducing its emissions. It has invested in good measurement, has accountability for improvement and has some governance to help keep it on track. Carbon neutral practices could be applied deeper and broader into the company and it is working on convincing the business to change. The company will have received a plan from 51-0 to help them do this.
We estimate that only about 40% of companies will achieve this.
“Investors, customers, suppliers and employees can be assured that this company is taking its responsibility to reduce its carbon emissions seriously.”
The Gold standard is the ultimate award and should be treated as a symbol of huge pride that the company is doing all it can to fight and reverse climate change. The company measures well and frequently, has an ambitious plan with clear accountability and has strong governance to ensure it keeps on track. Carbon neutral practices are visible all over the company, from procurement and supply chain management, through product design and operations, to demand creation and marketing. It has calculated its climate risks and is likely to have revised its’ business model and profit forecasts in order to become more sustainable as a business. It invests significantly over and above reducing its own emissions, in order to help the world fight emissions.
We estimate that less than 10% of companies will achieve this.
“Investors, customers, suppliers and employees should be proud of being associated with this company.”
We are fiercely defensive of this certification and only award it if it is fully deserved.
For more details please contact Professor Neil Woodcock on
