Carbon Trust launches new emission reduction scheme
July 7, 2008
The Carbon Trust has launched a new emissions reduction standard which will allow businesses and public sector organisations that commit to achieving genuine annual reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to be certified, in order to build consumer confidence and tackle “greenwashing”.
The new Carbon Trust Standard certificate will provide a way for organisations to prove they are tackling climate change and have made genuine reductions in their carbon emissions.
Launching the standard, the Carbon Trust said it wanted to inspire businesses across the UK to get involved in taking action on climate change, to look at reducing emissions in their supply chains and to take advantage of the bottom line benefits that come from reducing carbon emissions.
The Standard was developed by the Carbon Trust in response to both growing consumer mistrust of organisations’ green claims and confusion amongst business about what to really do to reduce emissions and improve efficiency.
It is the world’s first carbon award scheme that requires an organisation to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint and actually make real reductions year on year.
Unlike other award schemes, it requires organisations to take action themselves rather than paying others to reduce via carbon off setting — a practice seen as credible by only 1 in 10 consumer respondents in a recent Carbon Trust study.
Tom Delay, Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust, said, “Our research shows that not only do consumers currently mistrust business’ climate change claims, but that business thinks existing carbon award schemes are confusing and lack credibility. What business and consumers both share is a desire for one, credible way to prove an organisation has not only measured, but actually reduced their carbon emissions year-on-year without the use of offsetting.”
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