Cleaner Climate selected as member of UK Quality Assurance Scheme Advisory Forum

In May 2009, Cleaner Climate was selected as a member of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) Quality Assurance Scheme Advisory Forum.

Eleven forum members were chosen to provide expert advice and consultation on the UK Government’s Quality Assurance Carbon Offset Scheme (QAS), a scheme that provides guidelines to consumers and corporate regarding the purchase of carbon offsets for voluntary purposes.

Due to project commitments in Thailand Ben Muir, Cleaner Climate’s Managing Director, was absent for the initial forum discussion but subsequently met with Kathy Chislett and Tom Slater of the DECC for their thoughts and comments on the key issues and future scheme challenges.

“Given the opaque nature of the voluntary carbon market it was only a matter of time before government stepped in to provide policy and guidelines”, Ben commented.

“I commend government for its actions however the exclusion of certain VER certifications and inclusion of others abatement units, such as EUA permits, needs further analysis and correction quickly as to ensure an educated and best practice directive is projected to the general public as the current limitations are somewhat confusing and could lead to discouragement of offsetting as a form of abatement”.

For the QAS requirements click here.