SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Green-e Climate will launch a carbon offset certification program for consumers next week.
The offsets will be sold at the retail level. Green-e, which touts itself as the country's first certification program for carbon offsets, will ensure that the products sold to offset activities such as flying or driving have been verified at each step. Those buying the offsets will be supplied with information about the projects behind the offsets, which will be retired on behalf of the purchaser.
"We believe the market needs independent oversight in order to grow," said Green-e Climate Manager Lars Kvale. "The level of transparency Green-e Climate certification requires means that consumers will know where their offsets came from and have confidence that they are getting what they pay for. Building a credible voluntary offset market is an important instrument for combating climate change."
Green-e, launched by Center for Resource Solutions, has three two other certification programs.
Green-e Energy certifies and verifies renewable energy while Green-e Marketplace allows companies to use its Green-e logo if they pass the group's verification standards or buy a qualifying amount of renewable energy.
