NEW CARBON STANDARD GUARANTEES
ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY FOR GLOBAL OFFSET MARKET
- Global market confidence boosted by new Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) -
19 November 2007 (00.01hrs GMT), LONDON – A new global carbon offset standard launches today at the London Stock Exchange boosting business, consumer and government confidence in the voluntary carbon market. The Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) provides a new and much needed quality assurance for certification of credible voluntary offsets.
The rigour and transparency of the new VCS will boost market confidence for many companies and individuals keen to take a lead on tackling climate change by going carbon-neutral. The robust international standard will drive greater investment into credible offset projects certain to result in real and additional emissions reductions around the world.
Market analysts estimate that annual transactions in the voluntary carbon market could reach US$4billion in the next five years and that the VCS – already popular with buyers – will be instrumental to this future growth.
The new VCS marks the end of a two year consultation with the industry, NGOs and market specialists, led by The Climate Group, the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Andrei Marcu, President of The International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and co-chair of the VCS Steering Committee, says: “While the main action must be in regulatory approaches, voluntary actions and offsets have an important role to play, and the VCS will provide them with necessary credibility.”
Mark Kenber, Policy Director of The Climate Group and co-chair of the VCS Steering Committee, says: “The Voluntary Carbon Standard means business and consumer buyers can now trust the offsets they buy. Its robust quality assurance will trigger a new global confidence in the voluntary market from corporate buyers, consumers, and policy-makers. The VCS is vital for the environment and for growth of an important global market.”
Adam Kirkman, Program Manager, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, says: “Many WBCSD member companies already participate in emerging carbon markets or implement emission reduction projects on a voluntary basis. The Voluntary Carbon Standard provides additional incentive
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to business to invest internationally in low carbon technologies, allowing companies to monetize the gains from their early voluntary actions via a robust standard supported by third-party verification that delivers environmental integrity, consumer confidence, and market credibility.”
About The Voluntary Offset Market
Although direct cuts in emissions should be the first step for any individual or business looking at minimizing its impact on climate change, the voluntary carbon market has an important role to play. Government regulation and appeals for people to change their behaviour will not be sufficient alone to achieve the carbon reductions needed at the speed required. Carbon offsetting is a valuable transition solution because it allows additional investment in carbon reductions over and above that which Government regulations have achieved, and makes those reductions wherever they can be made fastest and at the lowest cost.
Explaining the valuable role of the voluntary carbon market, Mark Kenber says: “Urgent and drastic action is required to stabilise climate change. The voluntary carbon market has an important role to play in bringing down emissions quickly and priming the pump of clean green innovation while the politics catches up.”

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