The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) is working with the Gold Standard to eliminate irregularities from the voluntary carbon-offsetting marketplace. Kyoto Protocol compliance introduced a regulated Certified Emissions Reduction (CER) marketplace where carbon credits generated from renewable energy generation and energy efficient projects could be bought, sold and traded by organisations aiming to keep their activities carbon neutral. The Verified Emissions Reductions (VERs) carbon credits of the voluntary carbon-offsetting marketplace have exhibited many inconsistencies leading to uncertainty about their validity.

The Gold Standard is the world's only quality standard for carbon emission reduction projects with added sustainable development benefits and guaranteed environmental integrity. Gold Standard VERs are being introduced to offer a higher degree of quality to the voluntary carbon-offsetting marketplace. This is expected to lead to more certainty for organisations who want to be able to calculate their carbon offset accurately, and so allow organisations to clearly state that they have achieved carbon neutrality.

Allowing organisations to voluntarily offset their carbon footprint is a great step forward in placing an economic value on our environmental activities.

Related:

• DrivingGreen personal carbon offset calculator. Offset Thanksgiving for $8
• New Oxford American's Word of the Year: Carbon Neutral

[Source: Bioenergy News]