Climate Care Delivers One Million Tonnes of Offsets
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.25.07
The UK’s leading carbon offset provider Climate Care, who earlier this week became the focus of protesters from climate camp, has released a statement announcing a major milestone – 1 million tonnes of offsets sold. That, says the company’s founder Mike Mason, is like taking 300,000 cars off the road for a year. He also used the opportunity to respond to critics of offsets:
"This highlights the real impact that voluntary funding of credible carbon offsets can have in delivering actual emissions reductions. If we are in a hurry to tackle climate change, and we need to make real reductions quickly, voluntary offsets need to be recognised as a core part of everyone’s reductions strategy. However, the huge contribution that this market can make to both reducing global warming and to improving the lives of millions in the third world, is now under threat from a combination of insensitive regulation by government and persistent negative media. For many, the concern has been that buying offsets achieves nothing more than clear consciences, which our delivery milestone clearly shows is not the case. This landmark achievement is simply the beginning, with next years sales expected to fund reductions equivalent to an impressive 1% of the entire UK's annual carbon footprint.”
The company also pointed out that the reductions achieved by Climate Care have come at a time when the UK’s overall emissions have risen – by 4.6 million tones a year for the last ten years. Climate Care puts it this way:
“Clearly the success of the voluntary offset market needs to be recognised if we really want to deliver the reductions needed to secure a sustainable future for ourselves and our children. Government policy has delivered an increase, the voluntary market has delivered a reduction…”
Anyone wanting to learn more about offsets, and how to make sure they really are part of an overall emissions reduction strategy, should check out our guide on How to Green Your Carbon Offsets.::Climate Care::via site visit::
how do they make this sort of calculation? show me hard data that your offsets have reduced co2 in the atmosphere by this amount! how many tree's have you planted? how many will reach maturity? do you safeguard the trees from being burnt (which would release co2 straight back)? how much profit have you made this quarter?
how easy it is to reach targets when one can create ones own figures?
i want you to make me look the fool. i want you to have reached these targets BUT there are too many lies to risk letting go of skepticism.
by the way, we can all save the world by buying a new Sky TV box, become eco warriors just by having appliances that turn themselves off!! wow, thanks co2 neutral Rupert!! maybe i'll just go out and save the world by selling my bicycle and buying an eco friendly prius. perfect logic!!
Jack
You are sceptical about our claim to have delivered over 1 million tonnes of CO2 reductions. There is a very simple answer to your question "how do they do this sort of calculation?" - we don't.
All the carbon savings from our offset projects are verified by independent third parties. And there are now internationally recognised standards that accredit projects to demonstrate they have made real, verified and additional carbon savings.
90% (and rising) of the carbon savings we're investing in will be accredited under one of the following standards: Voluntary Carbon Standard (launched Feb 07); Gold Standard for Voluntary Offsets (launched May 07) and the United Nations CDM standard. - For more info see our website.
You are right to demand a clear, credible system for companies like Climate Care to demonstrate our claims. Such a system is developing quickly. Let's not cut down such a promising area of climate change action before it's had time to fulfill its potential.
Michael Buick
Comminications Manager, Climate Care
www.climatecare.org