Two additional early action metric schemes (the Carbon Saver's Carbon Saver Gold Standard and the Centre for Assessment's Carbon Action Standard Plus) were accredited by the Environment Agency under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) in August and October 2010.
The Carbon Saver's Carbon Saver Gold Standard and the Centre for Assessment's Carbon Action Standard Plus have been recognised by the Environment Agency as equivalents to the Carbon Trust Standard under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC). They can now be used by participants to score under the CRC's early action metric and improve their rankings in the league tables during Phase 1 of the CRC.
The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) is a new UK-wide emissions trading scheme for companies and other organisations in the private and public sectors. The CRC came into operation on 1 April 2010. Phase 1 of the scheme (the Introductory Phase) runs from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2013.
Participants will have to buy and surrender Allowances that equate to their CRC Emissions in each Annual Reporting Year of a Phase. The government will recycle the revenue it makes from the sales of Allowances back to Participants, to give them a financial incentive to reduce their energy consumption and, hence, their emissions. The amount of the Revenue Recycling payment that a Participant receives each year will depend on the proportion that its CRC Emissions have reduced as compared to the total CRC Emissions in the first year of the scheme (2010/2011). This is adjusted by a bonus or penalty payment based on its ranking in the League Table, which will be calculated and published by the Administrator every October.
The League Table will rank Participants based on three metrics, one of which is the Early Action Metric (EAM). The EAM will only apply in relation to the Introductory Phase (that is, to Compliance Years 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13).
The EAM is designed to give Participants credit for actions they took prior to the introduction of the CRC to reduce their emissions (carbon footprint). The EAM is based on two equally weighted factors, which have been chosen as proxies for good energy management. One of these factors is the percentage of a Participant's CRC Emissions that are covered by either the Carbon Trust Standard (CTS) or another scheme that accredits energy efficiency and which has been recognised by the Environment Agency (EA) as equivalent to the CTS.
Organisations that are certified under the Carbon Saver Gold Standard in each Compliance Year of the Introductory Phase will receive a score under the EAM, which will improve their rankings in the League Table in the relevant Compliance Year.
Around 24 organisations are currently working towards accreditation under this scheme.
Centre for Assessment's Carbon Action Standard Plus
Organisations that are certified under the Carbon Action Standard Plus in each Compliance Year of the Introductory Phase will receive a score under the EAM, which will improve their rankings in the League Table in the relevant Compliance Year.