Climate Action for Associations
Climate Action for Associations (CAFA) is a UK-based membership network founded in 2020 that provides carbon measurement, climate transition planning, certification, and peer-learning resources to trade associations, professional bodies, and membership organisations pursuing net zero.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Climate Action for Associations does
Climate Action for Associations (CAFA) is a UK private limited company founded in 2020 and headquartered in London that operates a membership network dedicated to net zero and sustainability for trade associations, professional bodies, and membership organisations. The company's core offering, the CAFA Collective, brings together 50+ member organisations across sectors including cosmetics, sports, and electronic equipment recycling, providing them with sector-specific climate resources, peer-to-peer learning, and tools to demonstrate climate leadership to their own members.
CAFA's product portfolio is built around a digital platform combining a Climate Transition Plan framework (a seven-step methodology covering stakeholder engagement, baseline measurement, target setting, action, reporting, and leadership), a CAFA Tracker for monitoring member progress, a Carbon Calculator (using UK Government Greenhouse Gas Reporting Conversion Factors), a community platform called CAFA Connect, and the Net Zero Association Service — a paid end-to-end certification programme. Supporting resources include a Serviced Emissions Guide, Best Practice Framework, Climate Policy Guidance, and COP30 outcomes coverage. CAFA is an official Accelerator for the UN-backed Race to Zero Campaign and has co-developed sector-specific schemes such as the ICER Carbon Reduction Assessment & Verification Scheme for the WEEE sector and assumed secretariat duties for Save Today, Play Tomorrow with Birmingham County Football Association.
Revenue is generated through a freemium model: free basic membership into the CAFA Collective, supplemented by paid subscriptions (notably the Net Zero Association Service), one-time fees for content, guides, templates, and policies, and donations. Distribution is predominantly digital via self-serve sign-up on climateactionforassociations.org, with direct enterprise engagement for paid services and partnership channels (ICER, BCFA) expanding reach into specific verticals. The organisation is led by CEO Alison Heppenstall and operates with an 11–50 employee headcount.
Climate Action for Associations firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Climate Action for Associations
- Legal name
- Climate Action for Associations Limited
- Website
- https://climateactionforassociations.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Climate Action for Associations (CAFA) is a UK-based membership network founded in 2020 that provides carbon measurement, climate transition planning, certification, and peer-learning resources to trade associations, professional bodies, and membership organisations pursuing net zero.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Climate Action for Associations industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Climate Action Services for Associations
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Net-Zero Target Setting & SBTi/Net-Zero Standard Support (EUABAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scope 1–3 GHG Inventory Strategy, Data Governance & Controls (advisory) (EUABAKAD), Regulatory & Disclosure Strategy (CSRD/ESRS, ISSB/IFRS S2, SEC, TCFD) (EUABAKAH), Climate Governance, Operating Model & Internal Carbon Pricing Design (EUABAKAF)
Keywords
Where Climate Action for Associations is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Climate Action for Associations business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: CAFA operates a membership model where organizations join the CAFA Collective. The website mentions 'free membership' as well as paid services for the Net Zero Association Service and other offerings. Fees for paid services are listed elsewhere and subject to change, excluding country-relevant taxes.
- Donations: CAFA accepts donations through their website to support their mission of accelerating climate action for membership organizations.
- Paid Services and Subscriptions: CAFA offers paid services including the Net Zero Association Service. Prices are listed on the website and subject to change. For paid services or CAFA subscriptions, payment can be made in advance online or via invoice directly with CAFA management.
- Content and Guidance Products: CAFA generates revenue through selling access to Action Plans, Guides, Tools, Templates, Policies and other content and guidance materials developed specifically for membership organisations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free membership with access to basic resources and community |
| Subscription | Annual | Net Zero Association Service - end-to-end net zero support programme |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Climate Action for Associations product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Climate Action for Associations (CAFA) is a non-profit organization that provides carbon footprinting, measurement, and reporting services, along with a Climate Transition Plan framework, a Certified Net Zero Association programme, and a peer-to-peer community network (CAFA Collective/CAFA Connect) for trade associations, professional bodies, and membership organisations pursuing net zero. Members gain access to practical resources, tools, templates, and policy guidance tailored specifically for the membership sector, supported by UK Government GHG conversion factors in its Carbon Calculator.
Product overview
CAFA operates as a membership organisation network rather than a traditional software product company. Its core offering is the CAFA Collective, a network of membership organisations committed to climate leadership and net zero. The portfolio consists of the CAFA Collective membership (providing access to all resources and community features), supplemented by specific tools and services including the Climate Transition Plan (a planning framework for net zero), CAFA Tracker (progress monitoring), CAFA Connect (peer networking platform), Carbon Calculator (emissions measurement), and the Net Zero Service (certification programme). Supporting these are resource products including the Serviced Emissions Guide, Best Practice Framework, Climate Policy Guidance, and COP30 analysis. CAFA also delivers events and supports sector-specific initiatives like the WEEE sector carbon reduction scheme in partnership with ICER.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CAFA Climate Transition Plan: A practical framework for membership organisations to plan their journey to net zero, covering stakeholder engagement, baseline understanding, target setting, practical action, measurement, reporting, and leadership.
- CAFA Carbon Calculator
- CAFA Tracker
- CAFA Connect
- Net Zero Association Service
- Save Today, Play Tomorrow
Products and services
- CAFA Collective Membership A membership network bringing together professional and trade associations committed to climate leadership and net zero; members access resources, guidance, peer-to-peer networking, and support for driving sustainability within their sectors.
- Climate Transition Plan A structured framework specifically designed for membership organisations to accelerate towards net zero, covering stakeholder engagement, baseline understanding, target setting, practical action, measurement, reporting, and leadership engagement.
- Net Zero Association Service An end-to-end paid programme of support designed specifically for membership organisations to achieve certified Net Zero Association status.
- Carbon Calculator CAFA's carbon calculation tool for measuring organisational emissions using UK Government Greenhouse Gas Reporting Conversion Factors; designed for UK-based emissions measurement.
- ICER Carbon Reduction Assessment & Verification Scheme A structured assessment and verification scheme co-developed with ICER for the UK WEEE sector to evaluate sustainability progress, measure climate impact, and identify areas for improvement. CAFA acts as the verifier.
- CAFA Tracker A tracking tool that monitors and reports on climate action progress across CAFA Collective member organisations.
- CAFA Connect Community Platform A peer-to-peer community platform enabling CAFA members to learn from one another and share sustainability practices internally and with their members.
- Save Today, Play Tomorrow Programme A pioneering grassroots sports sustainability programme helping sports clubs reduce environmental impact, remain financially strong, and support their communities.
Quantifiable outcome
- CAFA is the only global resource and network dedicated to net zero and sustainability for the membership sector
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Climate Action for Associations
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Climate Action for Associations technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Climate Action for Associations partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Birmingham County Football Association (BCFA)coreCAFA has partnered with Birmingham County Football Association to lead the next phase of growth for Save Today, Play Tomorrow - a pioneering grassroots sports sustainability programme. CAFA now acts as the strategic lead and secretariat, bringing additional expertise and resources to support the programme's expansion across the UK, Europe and beyond. BCFA remains a founding partner with their vision continuing to underpin the programme.
- ICER (Industry Council for Electronic Equipment Recycling)coreCAFA and ICER co-developed the ICER Carbon Reduction Assessment & Verification Scheme for the UK WEEE sector. ICER acts as the scheme's administrator managing onboarding, communications, and the register of participating organisations. CAFA serves as the verifier, supporting participants through the assessment process, reviewing evidence, and providing tailored feedback. This is a first-of-its-kind tool designed to help businesses in the WEEE industry measure, understand, and reduce their climate impact.
- CTPA (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association)coreCTPA joined the CAFA Collective in April 2025. Established 80 years ago, CTPA is the UK trade association representing companies across the cosmetics and personal care value chain, representing over 200 organisations. CTPA has developed a sustainability strategy 'Driving Towards a Net Positive Cosmetics Industry' and released the 'Navigating a Volatile World' sustainability handbook for the UK cosmetic sector.
- UN Race to Zero CampaigncoreCAFA is an official Accelerator for the UN-backed Race to Zero Campaign. This partnership provides CAFA with global credibility in the climate action space and aligns the organization with the international net zero movement, demonstrating commitment to helping membership organisations achieve Race to Zero criteria.
- CTPA (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association)coreCTPA is a member of the CAFA Collective, representing the cosmetics and personal care industry within the network of membership organisations committed to climate leadership and net zero.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Climate Action for Associations competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Anthesis Group: Anthesis is one of the largest sustainability consultancies, providing climate strategy, carbon accounting and disclosure support to corporates and trade associations. It competes with CAFA on the Net Zero Service offering but at a much larger scale and broader sector footprint.
- South Pole Group: South Pole delivers climate strategy consulting, carbon offsetting and net-zero advisory to corporates and public bodies. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with CAFA's net-zero advisory work, particularly for larger association clients seeking global delivery.
- CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): CDP runs the global disclosure system through which companies, cities and organizations report environmental impact. It is a broader incumbent that CAFA's Climate Policy Guidance and Tracker compete against for 'where should associations report climate data' mindshare, particularly for international members.
- Watershed: Watershed provides enterprise-grade carbon accounting and climate disclosure software used by large organizations. While it targets larger enterprises rather than trade associations, it is a potential substitute for associations evaluating the CAFA Carbon Calculator and Tracker.
- Persefoni: Persefoni offers a Climate Management & Accounting Platform for enterprises. As with Watershed, it competes for the carbon-measurement software layer CAFA provides via the Carbon Calculator, but targets Fortune-scale customers.
Direct peers
- Planet Mark: Planet Mark certifies organizations (including membership bodies and SMEs) on their sustainability progress, offering carbon measurement, reduction targets and certification. It is the closest functional peer to CAFA's Climate Transition Plan + Net Zero Service offering, though Planet Mark is broader across sectors rather than association-specialized.
Emerging players
- Greenly: Greenly provides carbon accounting software and sustainability advisory, with growing traction among SMEs and SMB-focused bodies. It overlaps with CAFA's SME membership organization positioning but lacks the association-specific network and UN Race to Zero positioning.
- Normative: Normative delivers carbon accounting and reduction planning software, including Science Based Targets support. It is comparable on the carbon-measurement / target-setting layer of CAFA's offering, though it is not association-specialized.
Others
- BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): BSR is a global sustainability consultancy and network working with businesses and industry associations on climate strategy. It represents a larger, more established version of what CAFA is building at the association niche, and a credible alternative for the largest members.
- Net Zero Tracker: Net Zero Tracker is a research collaboration that monitors net-zero pledges by countries, regions, cities and companies. It is thematically adjacent, providing reference data and credibility infrastructure that CAFA can lean on but does not directly compete with.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Climate Action for Associations social profiles
Digital presenceClimate Action for Associations financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Climate Action for Associations leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Climate Action for Associations funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Climate Action for Associations M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Climate Action for Associations
What does Climate Action for Associations do?
Climate Action for Associations (CAFA) is a non-profit organization that provides carbon footprinting, measurement, and reporting services, along with a Climate Transition Plan framework, a Certified Net Zero Association programme, and a peer-to-peer community network (CAFA Collective/CAFA Connect) for trade associations, professional bodies, and membership organisations pursuing net zero. Members gain access to practical resources, tools, templates, and policy guidance tailored specifically for the membership sector, supported by UK Government GHG conversion factors in its Carbon Calculator.
Is Climate Action for Associations a public or private company?
Climate Action for Associations is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Climate Action for Associations founded?
Climate Action for Associations was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Climate Action for Associations based?
Climate Action for Associations is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Climate Action for Associations make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations, paid Services and Subscriptions and content and Guidance Products.
Who are Climate Action for Associations's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Anthesis Group, South Pole Group, CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), Watershed and Persefoni. Planet Mark is listed as a direct peer. Emerging players are Greenly and Normative. Others are BSR (Business for Social Responsibility) and Net Zero Tracker.
Does Climate Action for Associations have an API?
No public API is recorded for Climate Action for Associations.
What industry is Climate Action for Associations in?
Climate Action for Associations's product category is Climate Action Services for Associations. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAKAA, Net-Zero Target Setting & SBTi/Net-Zero Standard Support, with a secondary code of EUABAKAD, Scope 1–3 GHG Inventory Strategy, Data Governance & Controls (advisory). Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8600.