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The NCZ Award and Certification Programme gives your business a structured, independently verified path to understanding and reducing its carbon footprint. Starting with your first emissions measurement and progressing through four clear milestones, the programme embeds sustainability into your business operations and gives you the certified evidence to prove it.

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How the programme works

The NCZ programme is built around four milestones: Scope, Capture, Report, and Certification. Each milestone builds on the last, giving you a progressively deeper understanding of your emissions and a stronger basis for reduction. Your NCZ Customer Success Team supports you at every stage.
1

Scope

Your Customer Success Team works with you to identify and accurately measure your Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions using the NCZ carbon management platform. This covers your direct emissions, purchased energy, and value chain emissions.
2

Capture

The platform captures all your emissions data and calculates your baseline carbon footprint at the organisational, operational, and supply-chain levels. Guided data collection forms make it straightforward to enter the right information.
3

Report

You receive a detailed emissions report that breaks down your full carbon footprint, identifies the largest sources, and presents targeted reduction measures you can implement immediately. This report forms your baseline for tracking progress year-on-year.
4

Certification

Once your data has been independently verified against internationally recognised standards, you receive your certification, a certificate, and a media pack. These allow you to publicly demonstrate your commitment and achievements.
Your Customer Success Team provides weekly support to ensure data accuracy throughout the programme. New to NCZ? Get in touch to begin your onboarding.

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Certification levels

The programme uses a tiered award structure — Blue, Silver, Gold, and Platinum — so you can start where you are today and progress at a pace that suits your business.

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NCZ Blue

You receive the Blue award when you sign up to the NCZ platform and complete the company questionnaire. NCZ uses your answers to model your emissions using the NCZ benchmark framework. There is no cost at this stage — it is your free Carbon Insights Report.

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NCZ Silver (£1,500/yr)

To reach Silver, you complete the carbon questionnaire in full and receive a self-certified, questionnaire-based organisational Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions report. This uses your inputted data together with the NCZ benchmark framework to produce a credible baseline. Included:
  • Answer the NCZ carbon questionnaire
  • Receive a Scope 1, 2, and 3 questionnaire-based carbon footprint report

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NCZ Gold (£4,500/yr)

Gold builds on Silver by requiring you to measure, quantify, and report all company Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions to ISO 14064 compliance. You set a formal emissions baseline and begin working toward targeted carbon reduction. Included:
  • Measure all company emissions through the NCZ data collection portal
  • Weekly support from the NCZ Customer Success Team
  • Detailed ISO 14064 compliant carbon footprint report with full emissions breakdown
  • Access to the NCZ Preferred Supplier Directory to find carbon-aware suppliers

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NCZ Platinum (£7,500/yr)

Platinum is the highest level of NCZ certification and requires you to meet all Gold criteria plus establish a supply-chain compliance programme. You must measure a minimum of 10% of your supplier emissions and demonstrate year-on-year reductions. Included:
  • All Gold certification benefits
  • Supplier carbon collection assessment tool
  • NCZ supplier emissions breakdown report
  • Year-on-year emissions reduction tracked against intensity metrics
You can pay annually upfront or spread the cost monthly. Contact the NCZ team to discuss the right level for your business.

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What you receive at each stage

At every certification level you receive independent verification that internationally recognised calculations and reporting standards have been met and that industry best practice processes have been followed. This is not self-declared — it is third-party certified. Alongside your verified emissions report, you receive:
  • A certificate — a formal record of your certification level for that reporting year
  • A media pack — digital assets you can use on your website, in tender documents, and in client communications to demonstrate your sustainability commitment

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Independent verification and standards

Every NCZ certification is independently verified against the GHG Protocol framework and, at Gold level and above, to ISO 14064 compliance. This means the methodology used to calculate your emissions meets the same standard used by large corporations and public bodies, giving your certification genuine credibility with clients, investors, and regulators.

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Progressing year-on-year

The NCZ programme is designed for continuous improvement. Each year, your new data is measured against your baseline, allowing you to track real reductions and report on progress. As your emissions fall and your supply-chain engagement grows, you build the evidence needed to advance to higher certification levels.
Businesses that progress through the levels typically uncover cost savings alongside carbon reductions — for example, through greater energy efficiency and smarter procurement.

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Get started

You can begin your certification journey for free by completing the NCZ carbon questionnaire to receive your Carbon Insights Report.

Log in to the portal

Access your NCZ Portal account to begin data collection.

Understanding scope emissions

Learn what Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions mean and how the portal captures each one.

Carbon credits

Explore how certified carbon credits can balance your unavoidable emissions now.

Contact NCZ

Speak to the team about which certification level is right for your business.