Voluntary compensation of greenhouse gases has a future

More and more people, businesses and organisations in Germany are starting to offsest the greenhouse gases released by a given activity through financial support of climate change projects, without being obliged to do so.

This is the main result of a market analysis for voluntary compensation of greenhouse gases, jointly undertaken by adelphi and sustainable, under commission by the German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt). During a meeting on 28 June in the Federal Ministry of Environment, authors Christian Kind, Dennis Taenzler and Lena Reuster led discussions with around thirty representatives from industry, policy and research, which highlighted the need for transparency and clarity in the current offers.

In parallel to emission reduction measures at the international level, the market for voluntary offsets can play an important role for consumer-driven climate protection. The prerequisite is that the quality of the certificates can be ensured in the long-term. Currently, many consumers are overwhelmed by the multitude of projects offered and by the varying quality standards.

By the fall of this year adelphi and sustainable will summarize suggestions from the expert. The results will then be made available both in the form of a report and through an online information platform.