Climate Neutral Certification: A Commitment to Combat Climate Change

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We’re with Greta! Global warming is the biggest existing threat to humankind. We are seeing the increasingly devastating effects of climate change each year.

Perhaps the most prominent discussion on this topic comes in the news as it describes governmental “efforts” to address the global climate crisis; the creation of the Paris Agreement; the United State’s departure from the Paris Agreement; etc. etc. 

The governmental movements are incremental and they need to increase in speed and scope. 

We have good news and bad news:

Bad news first: The grimy fossil fuel industry is not alone in contributing to the destructive levels of greenhouse gas emissions that are destroying our planet. We all play a role in the destruction.

Good news: Since we are all involved in the destruction, we can also take to make a difference in the fight against climate change at a meaningful level every day. We don’t have to wait for the government to require that we reduce our energy consumption!

In late 2019, we at Grow Ensemble made our first official commitment to protect, preserve, and advocate on behalf of our home planet—we enrolled in 1% for the Planet, where one percent of our revenues go to vetted environmental nonprofits. 

Now, we are excited to share how we at Grow Ensemble are continuing to advance our climate action efforts…

We have committed to carbon neutrality!

What Does it Mean to be “Climate Neutral”?

We are excited to stand alongside another group of world changers in the sustainable development community. So if you aren’t already familiar with them, let’s get you up to speed on our new friends. 

Very simply put, climate neutrality (or being CO2 neutral) means we are going to operate our business in a way that neutralizes our carbon footprint. The ultimate leave-no-trace policy. 

How do we do this? 

There are several actions that can be taken to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being put into the environment. One method being adopted by businesses and governments around the world is pricing carbon. 

With the goal of bringing down carbon emission levels, requiring companies to buy carbon credits both incentivize the reduction of CO2 emissions (because companies don’t want to pay) and encourages investment in cleaner, renewable energy sources (because companies don’t want to pay). 

You may or may not already be familiar with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Under the UN Sustainability Goals, the UNFCCC created the Climate Neutral Now initiative inviting anyone and everyone to become carbon neutral through the reduction of energy consumption and offsetting through carbon credit.

This initiative indicates that people at all levels, in all places, understand the emergency we are in to reduce our climate impact as a species. 

But maybe buying carbon credits isn’t quite a fit for you— you can still engage by voting with your dollar and supporting companies that are committed to the climate neutral business method. 

But how do you know who those businesses are?

What is “Climate Neutral Certification”?

We love a good certification. They ensure transparency and credibility for us as consumers, and as a business, they provide guidance and accountability. Climate Neutral Certification provides just that. 

But a certification isn’t any good if you don’t know what that little logo means.  Who is Climate Neutral? 

Only the gold standard, Climate Neutral is an independent nonprofit organization and a community that is bringing businesses together under the flag of climate neutrality. Companies that become a Climate Neutral brand commit to reducing and offsetting their company’s carbon footprint.

This public commitment means that a company, like us, will reduce emissions to the extent possible and offset what can’t be reduced to achieve net-zero emissions.

This can be a daunting task. Where does a person, let alone a company, even start their path to net-zero emissions? Climate Neutral makes it easy, setting each company up for success. 

Their method is to walk brands through their four-step process: 1) measure, 2) reduce, 3) offset, 4) label

You start by signing a Commitment Agreement. Then, Climate Neutral provides you with the tools to collect data on your current emissions and measure that data. They provide a guide for emission reductions that helps you identify various ways you can reduce. And they provide a guide for offsetting, which explains how you can purchase carbon offsets for those emissions you can’t seem to cut loose.

Then you get to proudly display the Climate Neutral certified logo….

Wow…a great debut.

What Does This Look like for a Company like Grow Ensemble?

For now we are in the data-collecting and measuring stage. We are learning SO MUCH as we start this process that we either didn’t know or didn’t completely understand. For example, did you know Internet use contributes to the crisis—of course it does!

We are working on our energy efficiency and carbon offsetting. As we uncover techniques for businesses and individuals to build in their environmental protection practices, we will share the knowledge!

We are excited to keep y’all updated on everything we learn as we continue reducing and offsetting. 

In the meantime, join the team and seek out those environmentally friendly companies that don the Climate Neutral certified label and show them your love!