Can I use ‘carbon neutral’ or ‘carbon positive’ terms outside Trace?

While terms like ‘carbon neutral’ and ‘carbon positive’ have been used to describe organizations that offset ‘equal’ and ‘more’ emissions than they generate, these terms have come under increasing scrutiny for being potentially misleading—especially when the offsetting practices lack clear substantiation or explanation to demonstrate their true environmental impact.

Given these concerns, both the UK Advertising Standards Authority and the EU Green Claims Directive have recently introduced strict guidelines to help businesses avoid risks of greenwashing. Similarly, the Australian Government’s Climate Active initiative is revisiting its criteria for carbon neutral certifications. As a result, it's becoming important to adopt more transparent language that accurately reflects your climate efforts.

To ensure clarity and maintain credibility, we recommend focusing on the specific percentage of emissions offset, i.e. using ‘Carbon Measured- Offset 100% of emissions’ and ‘Carbon Measured- Offset 150% of emissions’ rather than using the terms ‘carbon neutral’ and ‘carbon positive’. This will minimize the risk of greenwashing and also provide your stakeholders with a more precise understanding of your environmental commitment.