Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Climate Counts?
What is the Climate Counts Company Scorecard?
Why should I join Industry Innovators?
How will Climate Counts evaluate our company’s climate performance?
Are all company scores publicized?
Who is eligible to become an Industry Innovator program member?
What media/promotional opportunities will be available to Industry Innovators program members?
What are the costs?
How do I begin?
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Climate Counts is a non-profit organization that annually scores the world’s most well-known companies on their commitment to addressing climate change. Launched in 2007 with financial support of organics pioneer Stonyfield Farm, the Climate Counts Company Scorecard has gained strong worldwide media attention and has been widely acknowledged as one of the most useful and accessible tools for measuring corporate climate responsibility.
What is the Climate Counts Company Scorecard?
Climate Counts uses a 0-to-100 point scale and 22 criteria to determine if companies have:
•MEASURED their climate "footprint"
•REDUCED their impact on global warming
•SUPPORTED (or suggest intent to block) progressive climate legislation
•Publicly DISCLOSED their climate actions clearly and comprehensively
Since launching to major media coverage in 2007, the Climate Counts Company Scorecard has rapidly emerged as a credible standard for corporate climate responsibility. With strong worldwide media attention, the Scorecard is serving as a tool for internal and external stakeholder dialogue and action used by sustainability consultancies and corporate sustainability officers, as well as in boardrooms. We scored 60 companies in select sectors in year one, added new sectors in year two, and have now scored over 150 companies in 17 sectors, representing well over 3000 brands.
Why should I join Industry Innovators?
Increasingly, companies not evaluated as part of Climate Counts annual scoring process are requesting rating, verification, peer benchmarking, trends, strategies and other services from Climate Counts. The i2 program now makes the Climate Counts rating process and subsequent score widely available to companies throughout the global marketplace.
Amtrak, Ben & Jerry’s, Clif Bar, REI, Shaklee and Timberland are a few of the i2 charter member companies who have recognized the program’s potential to enable them to:
• Demonstrate environmental market leadership
• Develop a roadmap to guide company climate activities
• Deliver cost savings through reduced energy and resource use
• Increase brand value
• Provide consumer and stakeholder satisfaction
There are many benefits to becoming part of our network. Some companies wish to gain public recognition with their scores by taking advantage of the many media opportunities provided with Climate Counts. Others prefer to use our services for internal benchmarking only.
How will Climate Counts evaluate our company’s climate performance?
We evaluate the publicly available information on your company’s climate performance, and determine whether your self-audit evaluation held up to the scrutiny of our analysts. Climate Counts reviews and analyzes corporate materials, publicly available literature and corporate research, and audits and verifies the official rating (about three days work in total). Your company hosts a one-day site visit by a Climate Counts research representative. Upon completion of our review, you receive a fully verified Climate Counts score.
The first step is to take our interactive self-assessment on the new Climate Counts Industry Innovators website. The self-assessment guides you through our 21-criteria scorecard and helps you assess your efforts to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as how you’ve established your voice in the marketplace -- not only with customers, consumers, and suppliers, but also with public policymakers.
Your self-audit score leaves you with two choices. First, your company can keep the score as an internal benchmark to guide your future climate protection activities. Or, you can take the next step in the process and have your score verified by Climate Counts.
Are all company scores publicized?
No. You can choose whether or not to make your scores public, regardless of your score. Companies choose to be rated by Climate Counts for a variety of reasons, and even some of the higher ranking companies might choose to keep their scores private.
Who is eligible to become an Industry Innovator program member?
Although any company can request to be evaluated, your score must be 50 points or higher in order to be invited as part of our growing network of Industry Innovators.
Companies receiving a score of less than 50 points can reapply annually. In the first comparison year of our launch, 84% of the companies scored in 2007 improved their scores in 2008.
What media/promotional opportunities will be available to Industry Innovators program members?
As a recognized member of the Climate Counts Industry Innovator program (verified score of 50+ points), your organization will be eligible for ongoing media publicity via our extensive network of contacts. Take a look at our press page to see some of the recent media coverage on scored companies.
In addition to extensive media recognition via the Climate Counts network, you will also be eligible for:
• i2 logo usage rights (restrictions apply)
• Flexible co-branding to endorse your company’s environmentally responsible stance (promotional pieces, in-store displays, i2 logo usage on product packaging and company marketing materials, etc.)
• Featured position on both ClimateCounts.org and Industry Innovators websites
• Featured advertising in the Climate Counts iPhone app
The fee for the Climate Counts formal evaluation and public score is based on company revenue and ranges from $2,500 to $10,000 annually (plus travel expenses to company headquarters). Companies that are not yet ready to commit at this level, or to having a public score, can first complete the self-assessment, soon available on the new i2 program website at www.i2.climatecounts.org.
To find out more, please contact Climate Counts Executive Director Wood Turner at i2@climatecounts.org or call (603)216-3788.