Government offsetting code announced
The voluntary offsetting industry has been challenged to provide strong standards for offsetting products, so they can be part of a landmark Government Code of Best Practice for consumer offsetting products.
Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn today announced the final structure of the Code, which will be backed by a quality mark. Emissions offset through accredited products will be calculated consistently and correctly, and consumers will be provided with clear information and transparent prices.
Mr Benn said:
“If people are trying to reduce their impact on the climate, the first thing they should do is find ways to reduce their carbon footprint. But realistically, there are emissions that can’t or won’t be avoided, and that’s where offsetting can play an important role.
“That’s why the Government is developing a Code of Practice and a quality mark for high-quality offsetting products to help businesses and individuals Act on CO2.”
Mr Benn said that as a starting point, the Code would only cover offsetting products using Kyoto-compliant credits initially:
“I think it’s right that we set a high standard. It’s important that consumers who want to buy carbon offsets with confidence can do just that. When a consumer buys a tonne of carbon with the Government’s quality mark, they’ll know they’re buying a full tonne of carbon.
“However, we recognise that credits from the unregulated market may be innovative and of a very high standard. So we’re leaving the Offsetting Code open to high-quality voluntary offsetting products, provided the industry can provide a similar level of assurance about the standard of the credits.
“The challenge to the offsetting industry is clear: to establish a clear, rigorous standard for voluntary projects that deals with the concerns that have been raised. We will support them in developing that standard – and when we have the necessary guarantees, we’ll include high-quality voluntary offsets in the Code.”
The Government has appointed AEA to become the accreditation body for the Code, and they will today issue the final draft of the Code for industry comment on accreditation procedures. The quality mark associated with the work is currently being developed, and will be ready to be used when the first products are accredited later this year.
Further information
Page published: 19 February 2008