Net Zero Carbon for Practices

The Net Zero Carbon certification for practices is designed to demonstrate that an optical practice (as a singular premises or part of a group) is taking necessary steps to preform comprehensive carbon accounting on their business activity to ascertain a reliable carbon footprint, and then offsetting that carbon footprint using the transparent service provided by Net Zero Eyecare, to achieve to achieve a reliable status of “Net Zero Emissions”.

Net Zero Eyecare places heavy emphasis on the importance of optical practices offsetting their gross carbon emissions, not out of a belief that Reductions in one’s carbon footprint are not imperative to tackle the climate crisis, but out of respect for the reality that reductions opportunities are sorely limited for practices, especially when considering the full breadth of Scope 3 emissions (which, as described in this standard, includes patient travel).

Recommendations for emissions reductions opportunities are included in Recommendations for Non-Compulsory Best Practice.

The carbon accounting process described herein is based entirely on the GHG Protocol’s Corporate Standard, Scope 2, and Scope 3 Guidance, with added clarity in certain areas to specifically include factors such as patient travel, and thereby present the most respected international standard accessibly for the optical industry.

Optical Practices (singular)
Optical Practices (group)
Locum Optometrists
Locum Opticians
Locum Audiologists

Download and review the certification standard, then speak to Practice Building arrange your certification audit.

Net Zero Carbon for Suppliers

The Net Zero Carbon certification for suppliers is designed to demonstrate that a business is taking necessary steps to preform comprehensive carbon accounting on their business activity to ascertain a reliable carbon footprint, and then offsetting that carbon footprint using the transparent service provided by Net Zero Eyecare, to achieve to achieve a reliable status of “Net Zero Emissions”.

Net Zero Eyecare places heavy emphasis on the importance of optical businesses offsetting their gross carbon emissions, not out of a belief that Reductions in one’s carbon footprint are not imperative to tackle the climate crisis, but out of respect for the reality that reductions opportunities can take time to identify and even longer to implement - and time is something that the climate crisis does not have. Climate Protection projects, such as those invested in to offset emissions, are available and require investment now.

Recommendations for emissions reductions opportunities are included in Recommendations for Non-Compulsory Best Practice.

The carbon accounting process described herein is based entirely on the GHG Protocol’s Corporate, Scope 2 and Scope 3 Standards, with additional consideration of the carbon footprints of events as outlined in Net Zero Eyecare’s Carbon Neutral Event certification standard, and thereby present the most respected international standards accessibly for the optical industry.

This standard is designed to be used by businesses acting as Suppliers to the optical industry. Applicants eligible for this Net Zero Carbon certification include but are not limited to:

Service Providers (ie. Suppliers of non-physical goods & services)
Distributing (non-manufacturing) Suppliers
Manufacturing Suppliers

In this standard, specific criteria for certification are outlined for Service Providers, Distributing Suppliers, and Manufacturing Suppliers separately. However, if an Applicant company undertakes activities in more than one of these areas; ie. acting as a distributor for many products, but also manufacturing some of their own products, they must ensure that all criteria are met for these different areas of their business in order to achieve certification.

Download and review the certification standard, then speak to Practice Building arrange your certification audit.