Climate change & energy

Climate change: Carbon offsetting - Code of Best Practice

The Secretary of State announced on 19 February 2008 the framework for the Code of Best Practice for Carbon Offsetting. The Code is voluntary and offset providers can choose whether to seek accreditation for all, or some, of their offsetting products.

The Code initially covers only Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs), that are compliant with the Kyoto Protocol. The Secretary of State has also challenged industry to develop a standard for Voluntary Emissions Reduction credits (VERs) which could be included in the Code in the future, subject to the verification of their robustness.

The Code aims to:

  • increase consumers’ understanding of offsetting and its role in addressing climate change;
  • increase consumer confidence in the integrity and value for money of the offset products available to them;
  • provide signals to the UK offset sector on the quality and verification standards to which they should aspire, so that market participants can focus their attention on developing the UK’s position as a global market leader in the field; and
  • encourage the provision of credit types which are consistent with the Government’s policies on meeting its Kyoto obligations and strategy for supporting the development of a robust and liquid global market infrastructure for carbon trading

Comments on draft Code

AEA have been appointed as the accreditation body for the scheme and comments on the draft Code should be sent to:

Daniel Waller
AEA Energy & Environment
Gemini Building
Fermi Avenue
Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
Didcot
OX11 0QR
E mail: carbon_offset@aeat.co.uk

Consultation

The Government's response to the 2007 consultaton on the proposed code is set out in the summary of responses below:

Page last modified: 19 February 2008
Page published: 18 January 2007

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs