Over the past decade we’ve been on a journey to reduce our carbon emissions. We’re incredibly proud to be one of the first UK companies to be certified carbon neutral by the BSI (British Standards Institution) in line with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 14068 framework. This has replaced the previous PAS 2060 standard which we achieved in 2022.
This achievement is recognition of the work that we’ve done to reduce our carbon emissions; in this article, we’ll detail what this means for our business and how we’re able to maintain our high customer standards whilst addressing our sustainability obligations.
How have we verified our carbon neutral status?
To achieve verification, our Group’s carbon footprint has been independently verified in accordance with the globally recognised ISO 14068-1:2023 standard by BSI. The verification encompasses scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions for the reporting period from 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024.
The verification process comprised an in-depth and independent assessment of our Group data and procedures to ensure compliance with the standard’s requirements. We also implemented a robust carbon management plan, including defined baselines, target years and both near and long-term emission reduction goals. To achieve carbon neutrality, our Group also required verified carbon offsets in line with the ISO 14068 standard.
Who is the International Organisation for Standardisation?
The ISO is an independent organisation consisting of a network of bodies across the globe with the shared aim of improving international trade and collaboration by creating universal frameworks that promote quality, safety and efficiency. Working to a universal framework helps businesses to streamline their production, manufacturing and management processes, especially when operating across international markets.
They aim to provide practical solutions to real problems across the globe – providing standards for sectors such as banking, health, transport, manufacturing, engineering and many more.
What is the ISO 14068 framework?
The ISO 14068 framework is a new internationally recognised framework for carbon neutrality published in November 2023 and introduced in 2025. It is a rigorous and scientific approach that helps businesses to quantify their carbon footprint and measure the effectiveness of their carbon-reduction strategies.
It requires that all greenhouse gases (GHG) are considered, not just carbon dioxide, and that a full value chain or life cycle approach to GHG emissions is used where possible.
How does ISO 14068 differ from PAS 2060?
PAS 2060 has been replaced by ISO 14068, a more robust international standard that puts an emphasis measuring GHG emissions, implementing reduction strategies and using verified carbon offsetting to reach net zero. It sets out a clear hierarchical approach (reduce, remove and then offset) which emphasises the importance of genuine emission reductions. To achieve ISO 14068 an organisation’s carbon footprint must also be quantified under the ISO 14064-1 framework.
While PAS 2060 required year-on-year carbon reductions, the initial application could be made entirely with offsetting. ISO 14068 is different in this regard as first applications must demonstrate carbon reductions or removals in addition to offsetting.
From the 1st of January 2025, PAS 2060 is no longer applicable for new carbon neutrality claims in the UK, which means businesses must adopt the ISO 14068 hierarchical approach to achieve carbon neutrality.
While we achieved carbon neutrality in 2022 (in line with PAS 2060), we had already adopted the hierarchical approach outlined in the ISO 14068 framework.
Is carbon neutrality the same as net zero?
No – carbon neutrality means that a person or organisation has achieved a balance between the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) they produce and the amount of CO2 they offset or remove.
Net zero, however, refers to the balance and elimination of all greenhouse gas emissions. While both involve reducing emissions, net zero is the objective that the UK is striving towards as it involves a more comprehensive reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
What steps have we taken to reach carbon neutral status?
Sustainability is central to our mission and operations. We’ve made several changes to eliminate our emissions and reduce our impact on the environment. We have:
- Switched our entire delivery fleet to run on HVO fuel, a fully renewable alternative to diesel that reduces net CO2 emissions by up to 90%
- Installed solar panels at all our owned sites and switched to renewable energy tariffs
- Reduced company waste going to landfill by 50%
- Installed EV charging points at our Bury office
- Offset all of our unavoidable emissions
We will continue to reduce our emissions year on year and calculate our organisational carbon footprint annually using BS EN ISO 14064-1 and the GHG Protocol, covering scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
Our Group’s emission reductions
In our carbon assessment report, we’ve calculated that our total Group carbon footprint is 5,695 tCO2e in our latest reporting year (23/24), a 36% decrease in emissions from our 2020/21 baseline year. While this decrease is largely due to an 89% decrease in scope 1 & 2 emissions, we’ve also reduced our scope 3 emissions by over 8% (508 tCO2e).
| Scope | Category | Baseline year 20/21 (tCO2e) | 21/22 (tCO2e) | 22/23 (tCO2e) | Reporting year 23/24 (tCO2e) |
| Scope 1 | Stationary combustion | 24 | 36 | 4 | 6 |
| Mobile combustion | 2,812 | 307 | 306 | 287 | |
| Scope 2 | Purchased electricity | 179 | 120 | 63 | 22 |
| Scope 3 | Purchased goods & services | 2,976 | 1,134 | 996 | 871 |
| Capital goods | 944 | 1,966 | 2,172 | 1,250 | |
| Fuel and energy related activities not included in S1 or S2 | 946 | 68 | 104 | 848 | |
| Upstream transportation & distribution | 921 | 664 | 992 | 1,089 | |
| Waste generated in operations | 35 | 19 | 10 | 9 | |
| Business travel | 16 | 17 | 80 | 84 | |
| Employee commuting (& remote working) | 49 | 120 | 218 | 232 | |
| Upstream leased assets | 1 | – | – | – | |
| Downstream transportation & distribution | – | 1,130 | 1,263 | 997 | |
| Downstream leased assets | – | – | – | – | |
| Franchises | |||||
| Investments | |||||
| Outside of scopes | Outside of scopes | N/A | 1,710,372 | 1,631,095 | 1,426,951 |
| Total | 8,903 | 5,581 | 6,208 | 5,695 |
What are the benefits of fuelling our fleet with HVO fuel?
Running our delivery fleet on HVO fuel has helped our Group to cut our scope 1 emissions by 89% whilst reducing the need for regular maintenance as HVO is a FAME-free fuel. This also helps to reduce our customers’ scope 3 emissions which is a key selling point for environmentally-conscious organisations.
Our next goal is to achieve net zero (scope 1 & 2) by 2030 or sooner
While achieving carbon neutrality in accordance with ISO 14068 is an accomplishment we’re incredibly proud of, we’re not stopping here. We aim to reach net zero direct emissions (scope 1 & 2) by 2030 or sooner. We’re investing in new fuel systems, electric vehicles and office upgrades across the Group to significantly reduce our direct emissions and we’re on track to reach our net zero milestone by 2030. We also plan to reach net zero emissions (including residual scope 3 emissions) by 2050.
Our robust and transparent carbon strategy reports publicly detail our progress and carbon calculations, meaning that everyone will be able to see when we achieve net zero.
To learn more about our environmental commitment or for help reaching your sustainability goals, call 0330 123 1144 today to speak to our team.
