What verification means here
Verification on Zero to Green Pledge is an identity and existence check, not an audit. We confirm that the person or organisation behind a pledge is who they say they are, using public registers and email ownership. We do not measure emissions, inspect evidence for reduction claims, or certify that a target will be met. Pledges that have not passed a check are still published, but they carry no verification badge.
Verification pathways
UK company verification
Checked against the Companies House public register using the company number supplied during pledge creation.
What it confirms
- The company exists on the UK register and the number matches the name given.
- The company's registered status (active, dissolved, liquidation) at the time of checking.
- The registered office address and incorporation date on record.
What it does not confirm
- That the person who created the pledge is authorised to speak for the company.
- That any emissions figure, target or reduction claim in the pledge is accurate.
Charity verification
Checked against the Charity Commission register for England and Wales using the registered charity number.
What it confirms
- The charity is on the register and the number matches the name given.
- The charity's current registration status.
What it does not confirm
- Any assessment of the charity's programmes, governance or finances.
- The accuracy of the environmental targets stated in the pledge.
Email ownership verification
A one-time code is sent to the address on the pledge and must be entered before the pledge is published.
What it confirms
- The pledger controls the mailbox at that address.
- For a domain-matched work address, a working relationship with that domain.
What it does not confirm
- The legal identity of the individual behind the address.
- Any authority to commit the organisation the domain belongs to.
Matching the signatory to the register
Where an organisation has been matched to Companies House or the Charity Commission, we also compare the name of the person who submitted the pledge against the officers or trustees the register lists for that organisation. The surname must match exactly; the forename must match in full, through a common shortening such as Bob for Robert, or on the initial alone. Resigned officers are ignored.
This is a weak signal and we present it as one. A match shows only that a person of that name is listed as an officer — it does not prove that the person is the one who filled in the form, and it says nothing about the accuracy of the pledge itself. A match on the forename initial alone is shown as a partial result and never counted as a completed check.
An absent match is equally weak evidence. Registers publish incomplete and out-of-date names, employees who are not directors can legitimately sign on an organisation's behalf, and married, maiden, middle and anglicised names routinely differ from the register entry. We therefore never fail or remove a pledge because the name did not match; the check simply stays unticked. Where the register could not be reached, the result is recorded as unknown rather than as a failure.
When verification is re-checked
Register checks record the date they were carried out, and that date is shown alongside the badge on every pledge page. A badge reflects the register at that moment; company and charity status can change afterwards. Where a pledge is later edited in a way that affects identity — a changed company number or contact address — the pledge returns to an unverified state until the check is repeated.
Reporting an inaccurate pledge
If you believe a pledge misrepresents an organisation or contains claims that cannot be substantiated, contact us through the support centre. We review reports individually and will remove the verification badge, or the pledge, where a claim cannot be supported.