Quality Assurance Scheme for Carbon Offsetting
The first carbon offsets to be approved under the new Quality Assurance Scheme for Carbon Offsetting (QAS) were accredited by the UK Government today. All seven products are supplied by Clear, the carbon offset company: Flights, Buildings, Vehicles, Motorbikes, Commuting, Skydiving and a Carbon Audit Tool for Business.
The QAS aims to bring confidence to the market for consumers and businesses who purchase carbon offsets for their residual carbon footprint after efforts to reduce. Strict criteria have meant that many existing offsets, such as the non-Kyoto compliant VER certificates, have been excluded because of concerns about quality. The trade body which represents offset organisations who sell VERs, ICROA, have unsurprisingly been vociferous in their criticism of the scheme. Many of its members have substantial investments in VER projects which now face an uncertain future without the government’s backing. This financial conflict of interest is readily apparent in their persistent public criticism of a scheme which matches or sets higher standards than its own code of conduct for the majority of criteria.
QAS criteria include:
- The highest available standards for carbon footprint calculation
- The highest available standards for carbon credits
- Cancellation of carbon credits within 12 months in a national registry
- Transparent pricing and information about reduction strategies in addition to the offsets themselves
International promotion of the scheme is planned by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) over the coming months as more providers reach the standards required and come on board.
