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Consumers buy products and services from
companies whose values mirror their own, and increasingly
consumers care about climate change.
Offsetting emissions is becoming a minimum
expected standard of corporate behaviour.
The carbon market has seen phenomenal growth
in the last few years. An estimated US$ 22 billion of
carbon credits was traded in the carbon market in the
first half of 2007. Carbon credits are changing from a
niche commodity into an established asset.
But companies must be sure that their offsets
provide real environmental and social benefits. One of
the ways to do this is to only buy emission reductions
that have already been achieved, not promises of future
delivery. The Kyoto compliance markets offer one
trading route and at Carbon Capital Markets we have
also now started offering Certified Emission Reduction
credits (CERs) to the voluntary or offset market. Companies buying Kyoto-compliant offsets can be
sure they are sourced from projects whichmake a
genuine contribution to mitigating climate change
and promoting sustainable development. In fact
earlier this year, a UKGovernment consultation on
a Code of Practice for Carbon Offsets recommended
only the use of UN-approved, Kyoto-compliant credits
because they meet strict international standards.
As international policy and consumer power
continues pushing corporations towards managing
carbon emissions, the need to prove your attempts
to lower your firms carbon footprint is becoming
increasingly powerful. Offsetting correctly can be a
fast and efficient means of getting the job done. | 
