Washington, DC (January 8, 2008)- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) held a workshop to examine the emerging market for carbon-offsets in the United States. Carbon-offsets are generally classified as money pledged to reduce carbon emissions through different means, such as planting trees. With these programs growing so quickly, “There’s a heightened potential for deception,” said Deborah Platt Majoras, the FTC chairwoman.
At the workshop, panelists raised questions about the certification of offsets, as well as the extent to which certain measures actually reduce carbon emissions. The FTC is currently gathering information on current carbon-offset programs and soliciting comments to update guidelines as such programs move forward. “The carbon market is a leading example of the challenge of making sure that when people put their money into what they hope will improve their planet, that there is real follow-through,” said Daniel Esty, director of the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale University.
Related Resources:
Policing the Voluntary Carbon Market
The Other Side of Carbon Trading
U.S. Offers a Way to Ease Carbon Guilt
McKinsey Study Says the Market Alone Can’t Cut Carbon
New York Times
Federal Trade Commission