Process for demonstrating compliance – Carbon Code Issue 3.0 May 2023
- To submit an application for Code compliance, please complete the form at https://www-smartinfrastructure.eng.cam.ac.uk/signup. The questions asked in the form are given below.
- Demonstration of compliance to the Code must be made by the Board Member / Senior Executive with responsibility for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction for the organisation.
- Organisations which have achieved compliance will be listed on the Code website as ‘Organisations Complying with the Carbon Reduction Code’, with their level of compliance, PLEDGER, SIGNATORY, or CHAMPION. Organisations achieving PLEDGER or SIGNATORY levels of Compliance that are also in Compliance with some ‘Further Commitments' will be acknowledged on the website.
Questions on the Carbon Code compliance form:
1. ALL ORGANISATIONS (PLEDGER Level):
| Core commitments | Question | Evidence |
| 1.1 We will set out our plans to meet net zero by 2045, including annual targets, recognising that the majority of cuts need to be made by 2030. We will publish this, and our progress against it, annually. |
Q1.1a Does your organisation have a plan to meet net zero by 2045 (or before)? Y/N Q1.1b Is the plan published in the public domain? Y/N Q1.1c Do you report progress on it annually? Y/N |
Please provide a link or reference |
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1.2 We will set an interim target to reduce our net direct and indirect (Scope 1, 2 and where appropriate Scope 3) carbon emissions for 2030 which aligns with or exceeds government strategy recognising that the goal is to reduce emissions first with offsetting as a last resort. *For major projects which end before 2030, a suitable target will be set for the end date of the project. |
Q1.2 Does your organisation commit to setting this target? Y/N |
Provide a reference |
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1.3 Where offsetting is used, we will publish our offsetting approach and the schemes we are using. |
Q1.3a In meeting your net zero commitment, are you offsetting part of your carbon emissions? Y/N Q1.3b If Yes, what is your offset approach and what schemes are you using? |
Please provide a link / evidence. |
2. CLIENT COMMITMENTS (SIGNATORY Level):
| Core commitments | Question | Evidence |
|
2.1 We will include carbon reduction targets and reporting commitments explicitly in all our procurement documents, as a deliverable of the procurement process, to move the ‘cost-carbon’ balance in favour of low carbon choices. This will include capital carbon (product, A1-A3, and construction processes, A4-A5, according to the quantification framework of PAS 2080). We will use an appropriate standard (e.g., PAS 2080) as the reference document for this. |
Q2.1a Does your organisation include carbon reduction targets and reporting commitments explicitly in all its procurement documents? Y/N Q2.1b Does this include capital carbon? Y/N Q2.1c Do you use PAS2080 [Y/N] or another standard [please name]? |
Provide a link to/reference for the relevant company policy/guidelines, specifying the relevant sections if appropriate |
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2.2 We commit to providing a carbon baseline for each of our projects and setting targets for carbon reduction against these, which will drive innovation. We will also include, where appropriate, progressive carbon reduction targets throughout the life of a project and appropriate financial incentives, having regard to the other commitments on the Code. Carbon offsetting should be the last resort and only used when all other carbon reduction efforts are exhausted. Carbon offsetting should follow the Oxford offsetting principles or equivalent. Appropriate financial incentives might include contractual mechanisms/outcomes linked to low-carbon targets, such as: bonus structures, KPI regimes, performance failure damages, shared supply-chain incentive regimes, contract price rebates/reductions, pain/gain mechanisms, testing/defect remedies being activated and the required target being a condition of handover/acceptance. |
Q2.2a Does your organisation provide a carbon baseline for each of its projects and set targets for carbon reduction against these? Y/N Q2.2b If using carbon offsetting, do you follow the Oxford offsetting principles [Y/N/NA] or an equivalent [please name]? |
Provide a link to/reference for the relevant company policy/guidelines, specifying the relevant sections if appropriate |
| 2.3 We commit to having our carbon data externally verified as part of our reporting requirements in compliance with ISO 14064-1 and to disclosing our environmental data through a public disclosure scheme such as the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project). |
Q2.3 Is your organisation’s carbon data externally verified as part of its reporting requirements in compliance with ISO 14064-1? Y/N |
Provide a link to/reference for the relevant company policy/guidelines, specifying the relevant sections if appropriate |
| Further client commitments (CHAMPION Level) | Question | Evidence |
| 2.4 Together with our supply chain, we will develop outcome-based specifications and commercial arrangements, where possible, ensuring outputs are not constrained to current thinking but encourage low carbon innovations. We commit to ongoing support and engagement with the supply chain to accelerate achievement of the desired outcomes. |
Q2.4 Does your organisation work with the supply chain to develop and use outcome-based specifications and commercial arrangements where possible? Y/N |
Provide a link or relevant example |
| 2.5 By 2025 we will have established consistent measurement of carbon on projects and in our organisation, and share these on industry databases for the purposes of benchmarking and performance improvement. To achieve this, we commit to sharing our carbon data openly, through a national carbon integrator (where available) and through working with industry. |
Q2.5a Is your organisation working towards eastablishing a consistent measurement of carbon on your projects and sharing these on industry databases by 2025? Y/N Q2.5b Does your organisation commit to ongoing support and engagement with the supply chain to accelerate achievement of the desired outcomes? Y/N |
Provide a brief description of your relevant activities in this area |
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2.6 We commit to implement approaches that improve our capability to measure and reduce embodied and operational carbon in the design and construction phase, during the life of existing assets; and during decommissioning and end-of-life. |
Q2.6a Is your organisation implementing any approaches that improve its capability to measure and reduce embodied and operational carbon? Y/N Q2.6b Are you happy to share these as case studies? Y/N |
Provide links or relevant examples. |
| 2.7 We will align our capital and operational investment plans with the national net zero carbon obligation, including retrofitting decarbonisation to our existing asset operations and their use. We will use early-stage optioneering to prioritise no-build and low-build solutions, which optimise existing assets, systems and processes, before new build is considered. We will encourage multi-sector, system of systems approach, to seek integrated sustainable solutions and achieve a balanced outcome for the natural and built environment. |
Q2.7a Does your organisation align its capital and operational investment plans with the national net zero carbon obligation? Y/N Q2.7b Does this include retrofitting decarbonisation to your existing asset operations and their use? Y/N |
Provide a link to the relevant company policy, or relevant examples. Are you happy to share these as case studies? Y/N |
| 2.8 As clients, we will work together (with our peers, umbrella industry bodies and our supply chains) to proactively share best practice around our methodologies for carbon measurement and management. By also understanding where we have ‘common asset types and activities’ we will ensure we all measure and report on the carbon in these assets/activities consistently. |
Q2.8 Is your organisation working with others to share best practice around your methodologies for carbon measurement and management? Y/N |
Please provide any examples of how you are working with other clients, umbrella industry bodies and/ or your supply chains to share best practice. |
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2.9 We will share knowledge and information on the benefits of circular economy principles and nature-based solutions for carbon sequestration and increased resilience instead of ‘hard engineering’ interventions. |
Q2.9 Is your organisation working with others to share knowledge and information on the benefits of nature-based solutions? Y/N |
Please provide examples. Are you happy to share these as case studies? Y/N |
| 2.10 We will share our decarbonisation roadmaps both for new and existing assets, with the aim of contributing towards the national net zero carbon transition. |
Q2.10 Is your organisation sharing its decarbonisation roadmaps for new and existing assets? |
Provide a link to your decarbonisation roadmaps for new and existing assets |
3. SUPPLY CHAIN COMMITMENTS (SIGNATORY Level):
| Core commitments | Question | Evidence |
| 3.1 We will integrate and aim to automate production and delivery of CO2eq information through design and construction by using integrated approaches to data creation and management (in reference to commitment 3.3). This will inform optimal solutions through the build phase and streamline delivery of information to clients. |
Q3.1 Has your organisation automated production and delivery of CO2eq information through design and construction? Y/N |
Provide a link to/ reference for the relevant company policy |
| 3.2 We will reduce the whole life carbon intensity of our projects year on year, within the limits of our influence (to achieve the long-term targets set out in Commitment 1.2). |
Q3.2 Is your organisation reducing the whole life carbon intensity of its projects year on year, within the limits of its influence? Y/N |
Provide evidence of project carbon intensity reduction |
| 3.3 We will proactively recommend and adopt carbon measurement and carbon reduction methodologies in all our projects for both design and construction, including whole-life carbon approaches, regardless of whether the clients are requesting them, to raise awareness and facilitate informed decision-making. We will use PAS 2080 (or another relevant standard) as the reference document for this and aim to build on integrated and automated data capture (ref. Commitment 3.1) to log carbon intensity and monitor progress in reducing it. |
Q3.3a Does your organisation proactively recommend and adopt carbon measurement and carbon reduction methodologies in all its projects? Y/N Q3.3b Does your organisation use PAS2080 [Y/N] or another standard [please name]? |
Provide a link to/ reference for the relevant company policy / guidelines, specifying the relevant sections if appropriate |
| 3.4 We will work in close collaboration with clients and with our supply chain partners to deliver on the clients’ carbon requirements, and inform the development of approaches and standards. |
Q3.4a Is your organisation collaborating with clients and supply chain partners to deliver carbon reduction and/or inform development of approaches and standards? Y/N Q3.4b Are you happy to share these as case studies? Y/N |
Please provide examples. |
| Further Supply Chain commitments (CHAMPION Level) | Question | Evidence |
| 3.5 (Contractors) We will proactively support our supply chain to adopt carbon measurement and carbon reduction, and will require them to report on carbon. |
Q3.5a Is your organisation supporting its supply chain to adopt carbon measurement and carbon reduction? Y/N/NA Q3.5b Does your organisation require its supply chain to report on carbon? Y/N/NA Q3.5c Are you happy to share these as case studies? Y/N |
Please provide examples. |
| 3.6 We are committed to the collation and sharing of carbon reduction data across the industry. We will contribute data, for example, into a publicly available carbon measurement database or provide carbon data to clients who will enter the data to a database for the purposes of benchmarking and performance improvement. |
Q3.6 Is your organisation contributing carbon reduction data to a publicly available carbon measurement database? Y/N |
State which database |
| 3.7 (Consultants) We will work with clients to consider the carbon hierarchy options before a new build is committed to. Where possible, we will integrate nature-based solutions and circular economy principles in the design development and delivery of projects. |
Q3.7a Is your organisation working with clients to consider carbon hierarchy options and nature-based solutions? Y/N/NA Q3.7b Are you happy to share these as case studies? Y/N/NA |
Provide examples. |
| 3.8 We will proactively share our own best practice across the supply chain and learning from and adopting others best practice where possible, for example with reference to the Supply Chain Sustainability School, and annual reports of the Infrastructure Carbon Review. |
Q3.8 Is your organisation sharing its best practice with other organisations in the supply chain and/or adopting others best practice? Y/N Q3.8b Are you happy to share these as case studies? Y/N |
Provide examples. |
| 3.9 We commit to implement approaches that improve our capability to measure and reduce embodied and operational carbon in the design and construction phase, including reducing the carbon footprint of materials, reducing waste and decarbonizing construction operations. |
Q3.9a Is your organisation implementing any approaches that improve its capability to measure and reduce embodied and operational carbon? Y/N Q3.9b Are you happy to share these as case studies? Y/N |
Provide links or relevant examples. |