ASA: Sky's "carbon neutral" claim is fair

Sky has been cleared by the advertising watchdog to label itself "a CarbonNeutral company".

Four people complained to the Advertising Standards Authority about press ads featuring the claim and a green-themed TV commercial in which Sky claimed to be "doing our bit" for the environment.

The complainants, among other points, said Sky could not be "carbon neutral" because of emissions related to its set-top boxes and from its engineers' vans.

Sky said it had worked with the CarbonNeutral Company, which operates within agreed international standards, to measure its "carbon footprint", take steps to reduce it and pay to offset the remaining emissions.

Though it did not have to, the broadcaster said, it included emissions from the vehicles it owned in the calculation. STB-related pollution was not required to be included because it was "not within Sky's direct control".

"Sky nevertheless pointed out that they had produced an auto-standby set-top box which automatically switched to standby at certain times," said the ASA.

"We considered that Sky had followed generally accepted best practice methodology in terms of boundary setting and calculation methodologies for emissions accounting and reporting," said the report from the regulator, which had consulted an expert on the matter. "We therefore concluded Sky had substantiated the claim."