Swedish media recently concluded that selling CO2 offsets for travel is a flop because in the last year just one percent of Scandinavian Airlines ticket buyers and two percent of charter trip buyers were willing to add five percent to trip costs in order to purchase offsets. But perhaps Swedes just haven't found the right marketing vehicle!

In Norway it seems, shoppers at the Stroemmen Storsenter mall outside Oslo can buy a ton of CO2 offsets along with any other purchases for just 165 Norwegian crowns ($30.58) per ton. Not a bad price for mitigating a bit of climate guilt while going about your daily routine. According to Reuters, each Norwegian is responsible for emitting 11 tons of greenhouse gases every year, mainly from burning fossil fuels - so getting a ton a trip, it wouldn't take long to offset the year's CO2. Over-the-counter offset sales were brisk in the first day, Reuters reported, and the shopping center said it would consider buying more - Stroemmen added a 10 percent "administrative fee" to the cost of the UN-certified offsets from carbon firm CO2focus. CO2focus said the certified emissions reductions come from a wind power project in Maharashtra, India, and were obtained from Oxford-based EcoSecurities. Now the only hitch will be if carbon offsets turn out to be a not much more than a distraction in the quest to cool down the Earth by cutting CO2 emissions to the atmosphere! Via ::Guardian

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