02.Ratings
| Carbon offset offers |
| Retailer (in order of Carbon Offset Watch ranking) |
Accreditation scheme* |
Price ($ per tonne of carbon)* |
Main offset types* |
Project locations* |
Organisation type* |
| Outstanding |
Climate Friendly
climatefriendly.com |
CDM, GS, VCS, GreenPower, VER+ |
$40 (GS), $25 (VCS) |
RE |
Australia, China, India, New Zealand, Turkey |
For profit |
Cleaner Climate
cleanerclimate.com.au |
CDM, VCS (B) |
$25 |
EE, M, RE |
China, India |
For profit |
Climate Positive (A)
climatepositive.org |
GF, GGAS, VCS, RECs |
$25 |
M, RE |
Australia, China |
Not for profit |
Southern Metropolitan Regional Council (A)
smrc.com.au |
GF |
NA |
M |
Australia |
Local government authority |
Carbon Reduction Institute
noco2.com.au |
GF, VER+ |
$18 |
EE, RE |
Various including Australia, New Zealand |
For profit |
| Good |
Fieldforce Services
fieldforce.net.au |
GGAS, GF |
$8.75 to $20 |
EE |
Australia |
For profit |
Neco
neco.com.au |
GF, GGAS, RECs |
$15 to $19 |
EE, F, RE |
Various including Australia |
For profit |
Coolplanet
coolplanet.com.au |
GGAS, GF, CDM, VER+, RECs |
$14 to $20 |
EE, M, RE |
Various including Australia, Brazil, North America, Russia |
For profit |
Australian CO2 Exchange trading as Ark Climate
arkclimate.com.au |
GGAS, RECs, VCS |
$9 to $52 |
F, RE |
Various including Australia |
For profit |
Carbon Planet (A) (B) (C) (D)
carbonplanet.com.au |
GGAS, GS, GF, RECs, VER+ |
$25 |
EE, RE, F |
Various including Australia, New Zealand |
For profit |
Green Pass Australia
greenpass.com.au |
GGAS |
$15 to $20 |
M |
Australia |
For profit |
Low Energy Supplies and Services (LESS) (A)
lowenergy.com.au |
GGAS, GF |
$6 to $20 |
EE |
Australia |
For profit |
Greenpig
greenpig.com.au |
GGAS, GF (C) |
$18 |
M |
Australia |
For profit |
AGL Energy
agl.com.au |
GGAS, GF |
$9 to $11.50 |
M |
Australia |
For profit |
Enviro Friendly Products (A)
enviro-friendly.com |
GGAS |
$19.95 |
EE, F |
Australia |
For profit |
Origin Energy Limited (A)
originenergy.com.au |
GS, RECs, VCS, VER+, Origin accredited offsets (verified by a third party) |
$9 to $25 |
EE, F, M, RE |
Various including Australia |
For profit |
Landcare CarbonSMART
carbonsmart.com.au |
GGAS |
$25 |
F |
Various including Australia |
Not for profit |
| Adequate |
CO2 Australia
co2australia.com.au |
GGAS, GF |
$16 |
F |
Australia |
For profit |
Cozero
cozero.com.au |
CDM, VCS (D) |
$15.95 |
RE |
China |
For profit |
Global Carbon Exchange (A)
globalcarbonexchange.com |
CDM, GGAS, GF, VCS |
$25 (E) |
EE, F, RE |
Australia and various developing countries |
For profit |
| |
Source: Rankings by Carbon Offset Watch based on offsets available in the six months to April 2008.
* Other information, including the accreditation schemes, was confirmed with the retailers by CHOICE in August/September 2008, and may be different to the information used for Carbon Offset Watch rankings. Prices fluctuate and often depend on the volume and type of offsets bought. CHOICE asked retailers to confirm their prices in late August 2008. NA means a price was not available.
Table notes
-
(A) These companies achieved the same score as the company immediately above them in the table.
-
(B) The company can supply Gold Standard, but says it's usually too expensive for voluntary offsets.
-
(C) VERs are available upon request, including offsets from EE, M and RE.
-
(D) The company also sells GreenPower, we only give the price for other carbon offsets.
-
(E) Minimum purchase is five tonnes.
Using the table
Outstanding Scored well in most categories and sold a high proportion of offsets that are accredited against high scoring standards, such as the Clean Development Mechanism, Gold Standard, VCS and Greenhouse Friendly. These retailers also sold a high proportion of offsets from projects that change or prevent the underlying activities that cause GHGs, such as energy efficiency, renewable energy and diverting waste from landfill. There’s a very high likelihood that purchased offsets will deliver real additional greenhouse gas reductions (assuming the changes we want to national regulations are made).
Good Scored well in most categories, but in the assessment period sold a proportion of offsets that are accredited under lower scoring schemes and standards (GGAS and MRET). High likelihood that purchased offsets will deliver real additional greenhouse gas reductions.
Adequate Retailers in this category scored well in most categories, but during the assessment period sold a high proportion of offsets that are accredited under lower scoring standards such as GGAS and MRET, and/or sold a high proportion of offsets that don’t prevent the underlying activities that cause GHG emissions. For example, tree-planting offsets.
Accredition schemes
-
CDM Clean Development Mechanism.
-
GS Gold Standard.
-
VCS Voluntary Carbon Standard.
-
GGAS Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme.
-
GF Greenhouse Friendly.
-
VER+ Verified Emission Reductions.
-
RECs Renewable energy certificates.
Offset types
-
EE Energy efficiency, including demand-side abatement.
-
F Forestry.
-
M Methane capture.
-
RE Renewable energy.