The difference is the level reached. Blue and Silver are awards; Gold and Platinum are certifications. Both sit inside the same programme and rest on the same measured carbon data - the word changes because the depth of measurement behind it changes.
An award is based on a questionnaire. The free Blue Award models your emissions from the NCZ company questionnaire using the NCZ benchmark framework, and the Silver Award, £1,500 per year, produces a questionnaire-based scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon footprint report. A certification is based on measured data. Gold Certification, £4,500 per year, measures all company emissions through the NCZ data collection portal with weekly support from the customer success team, and produces an ISO 14064 compliant report with a full emissions breakdown. Platinum Certification, £7,500 per year, extends that into the supply chain.
Every level, award or certification, is independently verified against internationally recognised calculation and reporting standards, and every level produces certificates and media packs you can use to evidence it. The distinction matters most in a tender: a questionnaire-based award states what you believe your emissions to be, while a certification states what was measured through the platform and checked.
Last reviewed: September 2026