We know that ESG initiatives can be complex—and every detail matters. This page is here to offer clear, concise answers to common questions about our work, our approach, and how ESG strategies can create measurable impact within your organization.
Whether you’re looking to understand specific terms, implementation processes, or how ESG can align with your business goals, you’ll find helpful information below.
If you need further clarification, we’re always available to talk.
- Understanding EACs & Bloom’s Certificate System
- Certificates: I-TECs & Avoided Emissions
- Methodology & Integrity
- Circular IT & Impact
- Why Bloom?
- Practical Use & Implementation
- General & Compliance Questions
- The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) Corporate Guidance
- For ITADs & Refurbishers
Understanding EACs & Bloom’s Certificate System
What is an Environmental Attribute Certificate (EAC)?
An Environmental Attribute Certificate (EAC) documents the environmental performance of a specific, verified activity. It provides a traceable, exclusive claim right for an environmental benefit — such as renewable energy generation, sustainable fuel use, or in Bloom’s case, IT reuse and refurbishment.
EACs help organizations make evidence-based, assurance-ready environmental claims without relying on unverified data or ambiguous reporting.
How are Bloom’s EACs different from carbon offsets?
Bloom’s EACs are not offsets — they do not claim neutralization or compensation.
Instead, they represent activity-based improvements within the IT hardware value chain:
● Avoided Emissions Certificates quantify the emissions benefits of refurbishing devices instead of buying new ones.
● IT Asset Reuse Certificates (I-TECs) represent lower-emissions performance across the broader IT asset activity pool.
Both are traceable, verifiable certificates aligned with the emerging SBTi framework for energy and commodity EACs.
Why do EACs matter for climate action?
EACs solve key challenges in sustainability reporting:
● They prevent double counting
● They create exclusive claim rights
● They offer audit-ready documentation
● They enable transparent attribution
● They support value-chain decarbonization, especially where direct control is limited
EACs turn environmental impact into something trustworthy, consistent, and verifiable.
Why are EACs becoming more important now?
Global climate frameworks — including the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) — are moving toward attribute-based accounting, emphasizing:
● Chain-of-custody
● Clear attribution
● Verified baselines
● Registry-based tracking
● Evidence-backed claims
Bloom’s certificate system is designed around these exact principles.
Certificates: I-TECs & Avoided Emissions
What is an I-TEC (IT Asset Reuse Certificate)?
I-TECs are EACs that represent the lower-emissions performance of refurbished IT hardware within the broader IT activity pool.
They help companies demonstrate Scope 3 performance improvements in Purchased Goods (Category 1) and Capital Goods (Category 2) by supporting verified reuse activities — even outside their direct operations.
What is an Avoided Emissions Certificate?
Avoided Emissions Certificates capture the direct emissions benefits created when a company refurbishes and reuses its own IT assets.
Rather than reporting impact informally, these certificates provide auditable evidence of the real climate benefits associated with circular IT practices.
How do Avoided Emissions Certificates help with reporting?
They:
● Standardize calculations
● Create a single, exclusive claim right
● Provide third-party verification
● Produce registry-backed documentation
● Strengthen ESG disclosures and internal audit reviews
They turn emissions-benefit reporting into defensible environmental claims.
How do I-TECs support Scope 3 strategies?
I-TECs allow enterprises to:
● Support refurbishment in their broader value chain
● Attribute the emissions benefit of verified reuse activities
● Demonstrate lower emissions intensity in procurement
● Move toward a decarbonized IT supply chain
● Influence suppliers and OEM behavior with real demand signals
They are a tool for value-chain decarbonization, not compensation.
Methodology & Integrity
How are emissions benefits calculated?
Bloom uses an ISO-aligned lifecycle assessment methodology that includes:
● Device-category baselines
● Transparent system boundaries
● Peer-reviewed emissions factors
● Standardized assumptions
● Third-party verification
This ensures consistency and credibility across all calculations.
What does third-party verification include?
Independent auditors review:
● Activity data
● Device categories and specifications
● Calculation methods
● Assumptions and baselines
● Chain-of-custody documentation
Only after verification is a certificate issued and recorded in the registry.
How do you ensure no double counting?
Bloom’s system is built around exclusive issuance:
● One underlying activity → One EAC
● Certificates cannot be duplicated
● Once retired, they cannot be reclaimed
● Registry logs ensure transparent tracking
This approach is aligned with SBTi’s integrity requirements.
What is the Bloom Registry?
A secure, purpose-built registry that:
● Issues, records, transfers, and retires EACs
● Prevents double-counting
● Stores all supporting documentation
● Provides clear attribution and audit-ready records
It is the backbone of Bloom’s integrity approach.
Circular IT & Impact
Why does circular IT matter for emissions reduction?
Most IT-related emissions come from manufacturing, not device use.
Reusing a device can avoid:
● Manufacturing emissions
● Raw material extraction
● Energy and water usage
● E-waste creation
Circular IT is one of the most immediate, scalable climate solutions for enterprises.
How do EACs help circular IT scale?
They:
● Make impact measurable
● Make claims verifiable
● Reward refurbishment activity
● Enable enterprises to support circularity beyond their own operations
● Create market demand for lower-emissions hardware
EACs turn circular IT into an incentivized, trackable climate pathway.
Why Bloom?
What makes Bloom different from other carbon-market or ITAD solutions?
Bloom combines:
● Carbon market integrity
● Circular economy expertise
● Registry-grade tracking
● Methodological rigor
● Transparent assumptions
● A mission-driven, values-led team
We aren’t repackaging offsets — we’re building the right system for circular IT and value-chain emissions performance.
What principles guide Bloom’s work?
From your values page — Bloom leads with:
● Integrity
● Transparency
● Impact-focused innovation
● Science-first thinking
● Accountability to stakeholders and the planet
Every certificate we issue reflects these commitments.
Who is behind Bloom?
Your team — climate specialists, carbon market experts, IT asset reuse professionals, and circularity advocates — brings together:
● Deep sustainability experience
● Strong technical capabilities
● Operational understanding of IT lifecycle management
● Credibility with enterprises, auditors, and regulators
Bloom blends climate rigor with practical, industry-specific expertise.
Why enterprises trust Bloom’s certificates?
Bloom offers:
✔ Real, measurable activity
✔ Verified emissions calculations
✔ Transparent, documented methodology
✔ Exclusive certificate issuance
✔ Registry-based chain-of-custody
✔ SBTi-aligned integrity principles
✔ Clear, defensible claims
This is the foundation for evidence-based, credible sustainability reporting.
Practical Use & Implementation
How can enterprises use Bloom’s certificates?
Certificates support:
● Scope 3 strategy & performance
● ESG disclosures
● Internal sustainability reporting
● Stakeholder communication
● Supplier and procurement transformation
● Circularity and resource-efficiency initiatives
They provide evidence where spreadsheets once stood.
Can Bloom integrate with our ITAD provider?
Yes.
Bloom works with ITADs, refurbishers, and processors globally.
We integrate into existing workflows so enterprises can receive certificates seamlessly.
Do enterprises need to change IT procurement practices?
No immediate change is required, but many clients:
● Shift toward device reuse
● Extend refresh cycles
● Prioritise refurbishment partners
● Include circularity metrics in procurement decisions
Bloom supports — and accelerates — this evolution.
How do we get started?
Three steps:
1. Talk to our team
2. Connect your ITAD/refurbishment partner
3. Receive certificates and verified impact
The onboarding process is lightweight and designed around existing workflows.
General & Compliance Questions
Are Bloom EACs SBTi-approved?
SBTi does not approve specific certificate types.
However, Bloom’s system is aligned with the integrity principles SBTi is establishing for energy & commodity EACs, including:
● Exclusive issuance
● Transparent baselines
● Verifiable impacts
● Chain-of-custody tracking
● Clear attribution
● Registry-backed retirement
This alignment supports robust, defensible reporting.
Can certificates be audited?
Yes.
Each certificate includes:
● A complete audit trail
● Verified calculation methodology
● Underlying activity data
● Registry record
● Retirement evidence
They are designed to be assurance-ready.
Are Bloom certificates transferable?
Yes.
I-TECs and certain EACs can be transferred within the Bloom Registry, with full chain-of-custody records preserved.
Avoided Emissions Certificates tied to internal programs may be non-transferable, depending on the organization’s requirements.
Do Bloom certificates expire?
Some certificate types include expiry or issuance-year constraints, consistent with best practices for claim integrity.
Expiry rules ensure that certificates reflect current and relevant environmental performance.
The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) Corporate Guidance
What is the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard (CNZS) Version 2?
The SBTi is developing the next version of its flagship Corporate Net-Zero Standard (V2). It builds on the current Standard (V1.3) and introduces updated criteria for net-zero ambition, target-setting across Scopes 1, 2 and 3, performance assessment, claims, and recognition of ongoing emissions responsibility. Science Based Targets Initiative+2
Should companies wait for V2 before setting targets?
No. Companies are encouraged to proceed under the current Standard (V1.3) or applicable near-term criteria. The SBTi confirms that V1.3 remains credible and in effect until the transition. Science Based Targets Initiative+1
What are the key changes in CNZS V2 that are relevant for our business?
Key changes include:
● More granular target-setting options for Scope 3, reflecting varied value chain contexts. Science Based Targets Initiative
● A stronger emphasis on performance, reporting, renewal of targets and transparency. esg-investing.com+1
● A dedicated claims framework: companies must ensure claims are “accurate, transparent and verifiable”. Science Based Targets Initiative+1
● Recognition of “ongoing emissions responsibility” (beyond direct operations) as a separate mechanism, though not replacing core decarbonisation. clearbluemarkets.com+1
How do certificates like EACs (Environmental Attribute Certificates) fit into the SBTi framework?
The SBTi is explicitly considering how EACs (for energy, commodities, avoidance, etc.) fit within corporate net-zero strategies. They emphasize that any certificates used must align with high integrity, avoid double-counting, and support transparent claims. clearbluemarkets.com
In practice, this means that when companies use instruments like EACs to support value-chain decarbonisation, they need robust traceability, exclusive claim rights, and transparent methodology — all of which Bloom is designed to deliver.
What does the SBTi say about corporate claims?
Under the draft CNZS V2, criterion C28 states:
● Companies must ensure claims about net-zero targets or achievements are accurate, transparent, verifiable and based on evidence. Science Based Targets Initiative+1
● Claims must avoid language that misleads stakeholders or overstates ambition, progress, or performance. Science Based Targets Initiative
As a company participating in the value chain (e.g., IT hardware), how does this affect us?
For organisations like yours engaging in circular IT or value-chain interventions, the implications are:
● Use of value-chain certificates (e.g., EACs) must be supported by transparent methodologies and verified activity.
● Any claim you make about emissions reductions, procurement, circular IT benefits must be backed by verifiable evidence and aligned with your SBTi target-setting.
● These certificates can help demonstrate Scope 3 improvements (Purchased Goods / Capital Goods) which the Standard prioritises.
How can our relationships with instruments like Bloom’s I-TECs / Avoided Emissions Certificates help us meet SBTi expectations?
Your use of certificates with Bloom supports several SBTi-relevant requirements:
● Transparent, auditable documentation of value-chain emissions improvements.
● Attribution of environmental performance through exclusive claim rights.
● Support for Scope 3 decarbonisation where direct control is limited.
● Integration of circular IT activity into your procurement and business strategy, in alignment with SBTi’s increased focus on value-chain levers.
What are the next steps for a company interested in aligning with CNZS V2?
Steps include:
1. Review your current target-setting posture and whether your boundaries, baseline year, and inventory align with SBTi criteria.
2. Ensure your value-chain programmes (circular IT, reuse, certificates) have the documentation, verification and traceability needed to support claims.
3. Integrate certificate-based strategies (like Bloom’s) into your procurement, ESG/CSR, and value-chain programmes so they support your target-setting, not just reporting.
For ITADs & Refurbishers
How does an ITAD get started with Bloom?
Getting started is simple. ITADs only need to:
1. Talk to Bloom to activate your partner profile.
2. Provide basic operational information (device categories, refurbishment processes, facility details).
3. Connect your existing asset tracking data — either through API, spreadsheet exports, or batch uploads.
4. Submit your refurbishment/reuse batches for impact calculation and verification.
What data does Bloom need from ITADs?
Typically:
● Device make/model or category (e.g., laptops, servers, phones)
● Counts or weight per batch/order
● Refurbishment outcome (reused / resold / redeployed)
● Standard asset disposition data you already record
● Facility information (how devices are processed, energy information)
Bloom does not require sensitive client information or unnecessary data fields — only what is needed for accurate impact calculation and certificate integrity.
What types of certificates can ITADs issue through Bloom?
ITADs can issue two primary certificate types:
1. Avoided Emissions Certificates
● For refurbishment and reuse performed directly on behalf of enterprise clients.
● Documents the emissions benefits created through your work.
2. IT Asset Reuse Certificates (I-TECs)
● For verified refurbishment activities in your broader operations.
● Transferable to enterprise buyers who want to support circular IT beyond their own assets.
These certificates create new, verifiable value for your services.
How does Bloom calculate avoided emissions for ITADs?
Bloom uses an ISO-aligned lifecycle assessment (LCA) methodology, which includes:
● Standard device-category baselines
● Transparent functional units
● Peer-reviewed emissions factors
● Independent verification
● Registry-grade documentation
This ensures ITADs can provide trusted, science-based impact metrics to clients.
How long does it take to generate certificates?
Most ITADs receive certificates:
● Within days for standard refurbishment activities
● Within 1–2 weeks for large enterprise batches requiring additional verification
Batch submissions and verification workflows are built to be lightweight and compatible with ITAD scheduling.
How do certificates benefit ITADs?
ITADs use Bloom certificates to:
● Differentiate refurbishment services with verifiable environmental benefits
● Strengthen enterprise relationships
● Provide clients with audit-ready evidence of circular IT performance
● Increase revenue opportunities through I-TEC sales
● Win RFPs where sustainability requirements are increasing
● Build credibility with sustainability, procurement, and ESG teams
Certificates make your work more valuable, defensible, and recognised.
Are ITADs responsible for verification?
No.
Bloom manages the verification process with independent third-party assessors.
ITADs simply:
● Provide activity data
● Maintain standard documentation
● Validate inputs when needed
Bloom handles the rest — ensuring certificates are audit-ready and assurance-grade.
How does Bloom integrate with ITAD asset management systems?
Bloom integrates in three ways:
1. API integrations with common ITAD platforms
2. Secure batch uploads (CSV or Excel)
3. Custom connectors for proprietary systems
Integration is designed to be simple, low-friction, and compatible with existing workflows.
Does Bloom require changes to ITAD operational processes?
No.
ITADs continue to refurbish, redeploy, and track devices as usual. Your operational workflow stays the same — you just add new value to it.
Can ITADs use certificates in marketing and client proposals?
Yes.
ITADs frequently use Bloom certificates to:
● Differentiate bid proposals
● Highlight environmental value creation
● Win enterprise RFPs
● Support client sustainability disclosures
● Demonstrate circularity leadership
Bloom can provide a marketing support kit with language, claims guidance, and use-cases.
How do ITADs explain certificates to their clients?
Bloom provides a client-friendly explanation framework, including:
● What the certificate represents
● How the impact is calculated
● How it benefits the enterprise
● How it supports Scope 3 strategies
● Why it is aligned with SBTi integrity principles
● What claims clients can (and cannot) make
This ensures your clients make credible, accurate, verifiable claims.
Do ITADs own the certificates they generate?
Yes — unless the ITAD issues a certificate directly to an enterprise under contract.
ITADs can:
● Hold certificates
● Transfer them to enterprise clients
● Monetise them (for I-TECs)
● Use them in their own impact reporting
The Bloom Registry ensures clear chain-of-custody for all ownership changes.
How can ITADs maximise the value of certificates?
Most impactful strategies include:
● Bundling certificates into client contracts
● Selling I-TECs to enterprises supporting circular IT
● Offering avoided emissions reports alongside standard services
● Using verified impact metrics to win sustainability-oriented RFPs
● Publishing annual environmental performance dashboards for clients
Bloom partners with ITADs to identify commercial and strategic opportunities.
What support does Bloom provide to ITADs?
Bloom provides:
● Dedicated onboarding and partner success support
● Technical integration assistance
● Claims guidance for ITADs and their clients
● Regular methodology updates
● Marketing language and collateral
● Registry and reporting dashboards
● Verification coordination
You get a partner — not just a platform.
What does it cost ITADs to use Bloom?
Pricing is flexible and can be structured as:
● Per-batch
● Per-certificate
● Monthly subscription
● Enterprise/ITAD partner pricing
Bloom works collaboratively with ITADs to ensure pricing aligns with your business model and client needs.