The Center for Resource Solutions has launched Green-e Climate, what it says is the nation's first independent certification for carbon offset products. The company has certified products offered by retailers 3Degrees, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Community Energy, and Renewable Choice Energy.
Green-e Climate is a consumer-protection program that requires greenhouse gas emission reductions be verified according to project-level certification (including the Clean Development Mechanism, Gold Standard, and Voluntary Carbon Standard) to ensure the reductions have taken place, are permanent, and come from projects that would not have happened under a "business as usual" scenario.
Sellers of Certified offsets must provide customers with a product content label that explains where the reductions were sourced from, including the locations and types of projects, such as renewable energy, forestry, and methane capture.
Sellers must also undergo a yearly audit to ensure their supply of offsets matches their sales, and comply with Green-e Climate's consumer-disclosure and truth in advertising requirements.
