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First Green-e Climate Certified Carbon Offsets Offered by 3Degrees
The first Green-e Climate Certified greenhouse gas emission reduction products offered on the retail market are announced at Carbon Forum America
(CSRwire) SAN FRANCISCO, CA - February 27, 2008 —
The Center for Resource Solutions announced today that Green-e® Climate, the nation's first independent certification for carbon offset products, has certified products offered by retailers 3Degrees, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Community Energy, and Renewable Choice Energy. These products have met or exceeded Green-e Climate's strict standards for project verification and measurement, consumer transparency, and truth-in-marketing claims, and will be granted the use of the Green-e Climate logo.
Green-e Climate is a consumer-protection program requiring that greenhouse gas emission reductions be verified according to strict project-level certification (including the Clean Development Mechanism, Gold Standard, and Voluntary Carbon Standard) that ensure the reductions have taken place, are permanent, and come from projects that would not have happened under a "business as usual" scenario. Sellers of Certified offsets must provide customers with a product content label that explains where the reductions were sourced from, including the locations and types of projects, such as renewable energy, forestry, and methane capture. Sellers must also undergo a yearly audit to ensure their supply of offsets matches their sales, and comply with Green-e Climate's consumer-disclosure and truth in advertising requirements.
"Carbon offsetting is an essential weapon in our fight to combat climate change," said Ricardo Bayon, co-founder and partner of Eko Asset Management and chair of the Ecosystem Marketplace Advisory Board. "But this weapon will only be effective if it is backed by real, verifiable, measurable offsets and standards to ensure quality, integrity, and transparency. Green-e Climate goes a long way towards addressing these and other problems within the carbon markets."
"We are excited to have these four sellers offering the first Green-e Climate Certified offsets," said Lars Kvale, Green-e Climate Manager. "Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is crucial, and offsets give us a way to go beyond conservation and energy efficiency. Consumers can feel confident that these Certified offsets have been verified, and are exactly as advertised."
Contact: lklitsch@3degreesinc.com