National Carbon Offset Standard

Many organisations now seek to voluntarily offset their carbon emissions in an effort to become more 'carbon neutral' and in recent years there has been a proliferation of carbon neutral claims and carbon footprint calculation methodologies. However, the lack of a standardised approach to carbon offset calculations has meant that the veracity of 'carbon neutral' claims is difficult to gauge.

In December 2008, the Department of Climate Change released its draft National Carbon Offset Standard (Draft Standard) for public consultation. The Draft Standard specified the types of domestic and international carbon credits that should be used to legitimately and genuinely 'offset' carbon footprints. The Draft Standard aimed to provide a national standardised approach to the management and calculation of voluntary carbon offsets and carbon footprints. The Draft Standard, which relates solely to voluntary emission reductions, will supplement the mandatory Carbon Pollution