Climate change: Carbon offsetting
Everyday actions such as driving a car, heating a home or flying consume energy and produce carbon dioxide emissions. After avoiding and reducing those emissions as much as possible, carbon offsetting is a way of compensating for them by making an equivalent carbon dioxide saving elsewhere. Carbon offsetting involves calculating emissions and then purchasing ‘credits’ from emission reduction projects.
Advice for individuals
- ACT ON CO2 on Directgov for more information
Advice for businesses
- carbon offsetting on Business Link for more information
Information for offset providers
The Government has launched a Quality Assurance Scheme for Carbon Offsetting (previously the Code of Best Practice), so that consumers can identify good quality offsets. We have invited offset providers to submit applications for approval under the planned scheme. Those who wish to find out how to submit an application should visit www.defra.gov.uk/offsetting
Further information
- Carbon offsetting: Introduction
- Government Quality Assurance Scheme for carbon offsetting
- What the government is doing to offset its carbon emissions
- Impact assessment for Quality Assurance Scheme for carbon offsetting (PDF 200 KB)
Contacts
For all carbon offsetting enquiries, please email carbonoffsetting@decc.gsi.gov.uk
Page last modified: 26 February 2009
Page published: 03 October, 2005