CARBON NEUTRAL

BESTINDIAN™ IS HONOURED TO BE CARBON NEUTRAL CERTIFIED - THE SYMBOL OF MAXIMUM ENVIRONMENT RESPONSIBILITY.

BestIndian ™ is the industry leader in setting new parameters for environment protection and preservation, because existing parameters are not proving to be sufficient to protect the environment. Various studies have shown that instead of reduction, there has been an increase in the speed of environment degradation, inspite of climate activism and media’s attention.

BestIndian™ is harnessing the power and reach of business to create a more sustainable world. We’re on a mission to enhance the planet, not just maintain it, therefore we make real change possible—reducing carbon emissions, conserving forests and biodiversity, and improving health and livelihoods. BestIndian™ respects The Carbon Neutral Protocol by meeting all guidelines for businesses to achieve carbon neutrality.

Usually environment related checklists are considered as liabilities and formalities which need to adhered to, for a business to obtain permissions to do business. However, BestIndian™ believes that corporate and businesses need to do more to protect our planer to ensure that our children inherit a safe and healthy world. The equilibrium between man and nature is a delicate one; unfortunately the equilibrium is tilting towards a point of no return. Our actions impact our planet, and the future of our children. It’s our responsibility to leave this planet in a better condition, than the one we inherited it in.

Carbon Neutral - The Toughest Certification To Achieve

Carbon Neutrality Certification is a much desired and sought certification by almost all the companies of the world, but very few companies manage to meet all the conditions regarding pollution, emission, carbon footprint, etc. Resultantly, very few businesses in the world have been able to pass this test, the way BestIndian™ did.

Carbon neutrality means achieving a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere in carbon sinks. Removing carbon oxide from the atmosphere and then storing it is known as carbon sequestration. Carbon neutrality is achieved by calculating a carbon footprint and then strictly reducing it to zero via a combination of efficiency measures in-house and supporting external emission reduction projects.

Setting a target for achieving carbon neutrality enables BestIndian™ to make a statement of climate action that has absolute clarity with a 100% reduction.

• BestIndian™, as a Carbon Neutral brand, is able to build reputation for immediate positive impact and align with the increasing calls for carbon neutrality that is required to keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees.
• Carbon neutrality sets an immediate price on carbon internally to drive operational changes and efficiencies.
• BestIndian™, as a Carbon Neutral brand, creates a foundation on which other targets can build (such as meeting a 100% renewable energy target).

Need Of the Hour :

We are in a critical decade of climate action: speed and impact are essential. Carbon neutrality needs to rapidly become the newly accepted floor for consumer products; the license to operate in a world threatened by a climate emergency. And it can no longer be targeted at a small portion of the world’s consumers who have the luxury of choosing the more expensive sustainable options—like many ethical or sustainable products in years gone by. Instead, Carbon Neutral certification gives companies the option to take action on all the emissions they create today. In doing so, companies also play a critical role in accelerating the transition to net-zero emissions at the global level by financing projects which reduce, avoid or remove emissions in communities around the world. While companies grapple with the challenges of lowering the carbon footprint from the manufacture, shipping, use and disposal of their products, Carbon Neutral product certification provides a route to take immediate action across the entire value chain emissions, otherwise known as cradle-to-grave. The certification can serve as a clear marker to consumers at a time when climate is high up their agenda, but they might not understand the intricacies of carbon footprint labelling. It provides that mark at the level consumers best relate to: BestIndian™ products.

Carbon neutral products signposted on amazon.com:

CarbonNeutral product certification is one of the select few certifications approved by Amazon as Climate Pledge Friendly. The Climate Pledge Friendly programme is designed to help Amazon customers select products taking climate action, displaying the ‘Climate Pledge Friendly’ badge next to products which have one of the approved certifications. This means that Carbon Neutral product certification will be prominently visible to customers of the world’s largest retailer, recognising it as a credible, quality mark of carbon neutrality, integrated into a major consumer channel. As customers increasingly demand low carbon choices, we expect other retailers to follow where Amazon has led, empowering the world’s consumers to use their spending power to drive the transformation of how products are made, distributed and used.

FAQ

What is Carbon Neutrality Certified?

• Carbon neutrality is achieved by calculating a carbon footprint and reducing it to zero through a combination of in-house efficiency measures, renewable energy and external emissions reductions projects. To receive Carbon Neutral certification BestIndian™ commits to net zero greenhouse gas emissions for the certification period. Carbon Neutral certification means that BestIndian™ follows The CarbonNeutral Protocolto make clear, credible, transparent claim of our carbon neutral action.

What is The Carbon Neutral Protocol?

• The Carbon Neutral Protocol provides businesses with a clear framework to deliver carbon neutrality for their business.
• The Protocol provides a pragmatic, business-focused framework for carbon neutral action of the highest quality.
• The Protocol is a publicly available document, so companies can reference it to demonstrate the credibility and transparency of their carbon neutral programme.
• Launched in 2002, it is reviewed annually to ensure it reflects the latest developments in emissions measurement and reductions. Our Advisory Councilof business, NGO and scientific experts work to ensure it follows industry, policy and scientific best practice.

How did BestIndian™ achieve the Carbon Neutral certified?

Here are the five steps that the Protocol outlines to deliver carbon neutrality, and which BestIndian™ successfully followed to obtain our approval after passing all tests.

1. Define: Climate Impact Partners works with the business to decide whether to make its whole company or a particular product/service or activity carbon neutral. The CarbonNeutral Protocol defines what emissions are included in each option.
2. Measure: An independent and expert emissions assessment provider identifies what data needs collecting, supports its collection from the business, and then calculates the total emissions of the business. The Carbon Neutral Protocol clearly identifies the data required for each type of carbon neutral certification.
3. Target: The business commits to becoming carbon neutral by reducing and offsetting its emissions.
4. Reduce: The business delivers internal emissions reductions – such as energy-efficiency programmes and changes to business travel. Climate Impact Partners works with the business to identify and deliver the external emissions reductions projects and renewable energy to make it carbon neutral.
5. Communicate: Climate Impact Partners supports the business to deliver a clear and credible message about each stage of its climate action to its stakeholders.

What makes Carbon Neutral the toughest and most respected badge?

Credibility is the key. With a plethora of labels, companies must help consumers navigate the options and make claims of the highest integrity. The Carbon Neutral Protocol, first published in 2002, is updated annually with input from an Advisory Council¹ of external experts to ensure it reflects the latest industry and scientific best practice. The Protocol provides a robust framework for clear, transparent and high quality claims of carbon neutrality. To achieve Carbon Neutral product certification, companies must reduce the footprint and offset all remaining emissions of products.

Benefits for India?

Not only does certification drive value through a credible stamp of climate action for their consumers, but certification uses carbon finance to contribute to the global transformation of the Indian economy and improve health, livelihoods and resilience for communities in non-OECD⁹ countries, including India. Many of the readily available opportunities for carbon offsetting are in countries critical to the supply of many of the world’s products and in communities most impacted by climate change.

How can taking climate action benefit business? How does carbon neutrality help?

There is a gap between government commitments and what scientists agree needs to happen to limit average global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees. Successful companies realise that action on climate is critical to their success. By taking climate action businesses can:

• Engage stakeholders by motivating and retaining staff with a message about taking immediate action to reduce carbon emissions, and by demonstrating to investors that the business is measuring, disclosing and managing climate risks.
• Increase revenue by differentiating businesses in the market, meeting customer demand for action by their suppliers and by putting a focus on climate into the business to create new products and services.
• Reduce cost by putting a price on carbon into the business to encourage behaviour change on high emission activities like energy use and business travel, and to incentivise process and system changes to reduce emissions.
• Mitigate risks by reducing the risk of possible future regulation that taxes carbon consumption and supporting resilience in the value chain through emission reduction projects that support supplier, employee and customer communities.

Border carbon adjustments:

Countries are contemplating border carbon tax adjustments to account for the embedded carbon in imported goods and services. The European Union is committed to having one in place by the start of 2023. Carbon Neutral products have the potential to move from voluntary action by some of the progressive corporations highlighted in this white paper, to a mainstream response to regional compliance requirements. The practice of incorporating offsetting into national compliance regimes is already occurring in Colombia and South Africa, which have enacted domestic carbon tax legislation that allows entities to reduce their exposure to the carbon tax when emissions are offset with permissible carbon credits. With the International Organization for Standardization considering an ISO standard for carbon neutrality, there is real potential for the pioneering work by companies to evolve into a compliance-grade approach to certification that enables Carbon Neutral certified products to seek exemption from border carbon taxes. This will enable a pragmatic response to the control and reduction of embedded carbon in the international trade of goods and services.

Is carbon neutrality a stand-alone climate action?

No. Carbon neutrality serves as a capstone for a number of climate actions.

• Internal reduction targets. Using Science-Based Targets and marginal abatement cost curves are effective ways to set an internal reduction goal. Carbon neutrality puts a carbon price into the business to incentivise these internal reductions.
• Research by Ecosystem Marketplace looking at 1,835 companies reporting to CDP found that companies offsetting their unavoidable emissions are 50% more likely to have an absolute target for emissions reductions, and four times more likely to have set an internal price on carbon.
• Research by Climate Impact Partners looking at the Fortune 500 Global found that companies with a carbon neutral commitment are three times more likely to have a Science-Based Target (SBT) for internal emissions than companies without a carbon neutral commitment.
• Emissions reporting. Becoming carbon neutral requires BestIndian™ to measure its carbon emissions which can also be used for CDP reporting and is recommended by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
• Financing low-carbon technologies. Companies which become carbon neutral are financing the most cost-effective solutions being developed to remove emissions from the atmosphere, including many of the solutions identified by Project Drawdown and Natural Climate Solutions.
• Becoming carbon neutral enables companies to showcase their commitment as part of broader business coalitions that are lobbying for increased targets and climate ambition, such as Climate Neutral Now, RE100, Step Up Declaration (U.S.), We Are Still In (U.S.).

Environmentally-friendly products are still in the minority. Many ethical or sustainable products in years gone by have been targeted at a minority of the world’s consumers who have the luxury of choosing a more expensive product. Yet we are in a critical decade of climate action: speed and impact are essential. While companies grapple with the challenges of lowering the carbon footprint from the manufacture, shipping, and use and disposal of their products, Carbon Neutral product certification gives them the option to take action on the emissions they create today. It has become the accepted floor for consumer products; the license to operate in a world threatened by a climate emergency. At the same time it will play a critical role in accelerating the transition to net-zero emissions at the global level by financing verified emission reductions in communities around the world.

BESTINDIAN™ - PROUDLY CARBON NEUTRAL CERTIFIED