ENDS Carbon Offsets

Essential carbon offset reference documents

A frequently updated compendium of the best analysis and research on carbon offsets, selected by ENDS.

Emissions trading with offset markets and free quota allocations
World Bank
December 2012

Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry Offsets
Resources for the Future
November 2012

Kyoto Flexibility Mechanisms: Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation
Resources for the Future
November 2012

Help or Hindrance? Offsetting in the EU ETS November
Sandbag
November 2012

The cost structure of the clean development mechanism
World Bank
November 2012

Validation and Verification Manual
Verified Carbon Standard
October 2012

REDD+ and Community-Controlled Forests in Low-Income Countries: Any Hope for a Linkage?
Resources for the Future
October 2012

Designing a Large-Scale Federal Greenhouse Gas Offsets Program in the United States: Policy Choices and Lessons Learned from the Clean Development Mechanism and Other Offsets Programs
Electric Power Research Institute
October 2012

Comparative Study on REDD+: Recommendations for Action
Silvestrum
June 2012

Developing Dimension: State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2012
Ecosystem Marketplace & Forest Trends
May 2012

State and Trends of the Carbon Market 2012
World Bank
May 2012

Ecosystem Marketplace Report on Government Engagement with the Voluntary Carbon Market
Ecosystem Marketplace
March 2012

Designing a Large-Scale Federal Offset Program in the United States: Policy Choices and Lessons Learned from the Clean Development Mechanism and Other Offsets Programs
Ecosystem Marketplace
March 2012

Hydropower in the CDM: Examining Additionality and Criteria for Sustainability
Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley
November 2011

Annual report of the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism Part 1 & Part 2
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
November 2011

The Promise and Problems of Pricing Carbon: Theory and Experience

Resources for the Future
October 2011

State of Forest Carbon Markets 2012: From Canopy to Currency
Ecosystem Marketplace
September 2011

Back to the Future: State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2011
Ecosystem Marketplace & Bloomberg New Energy Finance
June 2011

State and Trends of the Carbon Market 2011
World Bank
June 2011

REDDy SET GROW: Opportunities for Financial Institutions in Forest Carbon Markets
UNEP Finance Inititative
May 2011

UK Government Quality Assurance Scheme for Carbon Offsetting: Approval requirements and procedures for offset providers
UK Department of Energy & Climate Change
April 2011

The State of Voluntary Carbon Offsetting in the FTSE100
Carbon Retirement
April 2011

UK Government Quality Assurance Scheme for Carbon Offsetting - 2009-10 Annual Report
UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
April 2011

The Implications of International Greenhouse Gas Offsets on Global Climate Mitigation
and summary in an SEI Policy Brief
Stockholm Environment Institute
March 2011

Forests and Carbon: A Review of Additionality
UK Forestry Commission
March 2011

Forests and Carbon: Valuation, Discounting and Risk Management
UK Forestry Commission
March 2011

Guide for REDD-plus Negotiators (Updated)
FIELD - Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development
February 2011

Smoke and Mirrors: A critical assessment of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility
Fern and Forest People's Programme
February 2011

Rule consistency of grid emission factors published by CDM host country authorities
Axel Michaelowa, Perspectives/Point Carbon
February 2011

Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) Considerations for Offset Projects: A Consideration of MRV Requirements Across Several GHG Offset Programs
International Emissions Trading Association
December 2010

Analysis of the German market for voluntary carbon offsetting and Analysis and evaluation of forest carbon projects and respective certification standards for the voluntary offset of greenhouse gas emissions plus joint introduction.
German Environment Agency
December 2010

The State of the CDM 2010: Focusing on Efficiency
International Emissions Trading Association
December 2010

Assessing the Potential of Climate Offset Programs
Sustainable Consumption Unit, University of Manchester
October 2010 (revised version)

Estimates of Future Supply of International Greenhouse Gas Offsets: A Critical Review
Stockholm Environment Institute
September 2010

The Future of REDD-Plus: Pathways of Convergence for the UNFCCC Negotiations and the Partnership
Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (Field)
September 2010

Hydro CERs and the EU ETS 2009
Sandbag
September 2010

Buying and Cancelling Allowances as an Alternative to Offsets For the Voluntary Market: A Preliminary Review of Issues and Options
Stockholm Environment Institute (for the OECD)
August 2010

Advance Market Commitments/Emission Reduction Underwriting Mechanisms for Climate Change Finance
Climate Change Capital
July 2010

International Offsets and the EU 2009: An Update on the Use of Compliance Offsets in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
Sandbag
July 2010

2010 Rating of Designated Operational Entities (DOEs) accreditedunder the Clean Development Mechanism(CDM)
WWF (written by Öko-Institut)
June 2010

The REDD Opportunities Scoping Exercise: A Tool for Prioritizing Sub-National REDD+ Activities - Case Studies from Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda
Forest Trends
June 2010

Building Bridges: State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2010
Ecosystem Marketplace & Bloomberg New Energy Finance
June 2010

10 Years of Working with Carbon Finance: Insights from the Kyoto Mechanisms
World Bank
May 2010

Ensuring Offset Quality: Design and Implementation Criteria for a High Quality Offset Program
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Mid-Western GHG Reduction Accord and Western Climate Initiative
May 2010

Retail Carbon Offset Survey 2009
Environmental Credit Corp.
May 2010

State and Trends of the Carbon Market 2010
World Bank
May 2010

Feasibility of CDM funding for household and community level projects
Atmosfair & Women in Europe for a Common Future
April 2010

CDM Post-2012: Further Development of the Project-Based Mechanisms in a Post-2012 Regime
Wuppertal Institute
April 2010

Forest Carbon Offsetting Report 2010
Ecosecurities
April 2010

VCS Consultation Document: Proposal for Compensation Mechanism for VCS Methodology Elements
Voluntary Carbon Standard
April 2010

Carbon Swindle: The Mirage of Carbon Offsets
Cascade Policy Institute
March 2010

Handbook of Carbon Offset Programs, Trading Systems, Funds, Protocols and Standards
Carbon Offset Research & Education, Stockholm Environment Institute
March 2010

International Offsets and the EU: Tracking Compliance Offsets in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
Sandbag
March 2010

US Offset Markets in 2010: The Road Not Yet Taken
Point Carbon
March 2010

A New Look at Carbon Offsets
McKinsey & Company
February 2010

Point Carbon carbon projects survey 2009
Point Carbon
February 2010

State of the Forest Carbon Markets 2009: Taking Root and Branching Out
Ecosystem Marketplace
January 2010

A Guide to Carbon Offsetting for the Public Sector
UK Department for Energy and Climate Change
January 2010

The Government Carbon Offsetting Facility (GCOF): A Practitioner's Guide
UK Department for Energy and Climate Change
January 2010

Australian Revised National Carbon Offset Standard
Australian Government, Department of Climate Change
January 2010

Upsetting the Offset: The Political Economy of Carbon Markets
Edited by Steffen Bohm and Siddhartha Dabhi
December 2009

The Efficiency of Carbon Offsetting Through the Clean Development Mechanism
Carbon Retirement
December 2009

State of the CDM 2009: Reforming for the Present and Preparing for the Future
International Emissions Trading Association
December 2009

Assessing Offset Quality in the Clean Development Mechanism
Offset Quality Initiative
November 2009

Carbon Trading: How it Works and Why it Fails
Carbon Trade Watch
November 2009

Carbon Scam: Noel Kempff Climate Action Project and the Push for Sub-National Forest Offsets
Greenpeace
October 2009

Carbon Management and Offsetting Trends Survey Results 2009
Ecosecurities, Climate Biz and Baker McKenzie
September 2009

The Use of Offsets to Reduce Greenhouse Gases
US Congressional Budget Office
August 2009
(Eight-page assessment of how carbon offsets could work under the Waxman-Markey climate bill)

Purchasing Carbon Offsets: A Guide for Canadian Consumers, Businesses and Organizations
David Suzuki Foundation
July 2009

Carbon Offsetting & Air Travel Part 2: Non-CO2 Emissions Calculations
Stockholm Environment Institute
June 2009

Maintaining Carbon Market Integrity: Why Renewable Energy Certificates Are Not Offsets
Offset Quality Initiative
June 2009

Road-testing of Selected Offset Protocols and Standards: A Comparison of Offset Protocols: Landfills, Manure and Afforestation/Reforestation
Stockholm Environment Institute
June 2009

A Dangerous Distraction: Why Offsetting is Failing the Climate and People - the Evidence
Friends of the Earth
June 2009

State and Trends of the Carbon Market 2009
World Bank
May 2009

VER Registries Overview
Climex
May 2009

Fortifying the Foundation: State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2009
Ecosystem Marketplace & New Carbon Finance
May 2009

Forest Carbon Offsetting Survey 2009
Ecosecurities, Conservation International, ClimateBiz & the Climate Community and Biodiversity Alliance
April 2009

UK Government Quality Assurance Scheme for Carbon Offsetting: Approval Requirements and Procedures for Offset Providers
UK Department of Energy and Climate Change
March 2009

Carbon Finance for Sustainable Development 2008
World Bank
January 2009

Towards a Common Carbon Currency: Exploring the Prospects for Integrated Global Carbon Markets
Bank of New York Mellon & Point Carbon
December 2008

A Review of Offset Programs: Trading Systems, Funds, Protocols, Standards and Retailers
Stockholm Environment Institute
December 2008

Carbon Offset Provider Evaluation Matrix
Carbon Concierge
November 2008

Carbon Offset 2008: Assessment Report
Institute for Sustainable Futures
September 2008

Carbon Offsetting Trends Survey 2008
Ecosecurities & ClimateBiz
September 2008

Carbon Offsetting and Air Travel: Part 2 - Non-CO2 Emissions Calculations
Stockholm Environment Institute
June 2008

Carbon Offsetting and Air Travel: Part 1 - CO2 Emissions Calculations
Stockholm Environment Institute
May 2008

State and Trends of the Carbon Market 2008
World Bank
May 2008

Forging A Frontier: State of the Voluntary Carbon Market 2008
Ecosystem Marketplace & New Carbon Finance
May 2008

Comparison of Carbon Offset Standards for Climate Forestation Projects Participating in the Voluntary Carbon Market (updated version)
1st published by University of Canterbury, New Zealand
May 2008

A Realistic Policy on International Carbon Offsets
Stanford University Program on Energy and Sustainable Development
April 2008

Making Sense of the Voluntary Carbon Market: A Comparison of Carbon Offset Standards
Stockholm Environment Institute & Tricorona, published by WWF Germany
March 2008

Offsetting Emissions: A Business Brief on the Voluntary Carbon Market
Ecosystem Marketplace & Business for Social Responsibility
February 2008 (second edition)

10 Tips for Purchasing Carbon Offsets
The Climate Group
August 2007

State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2007: Picking Up Steam
Ecosystem Marketplace & New Carbon Finance
July 2007

State and Trends of the Carbon Market 2007
World Bank
May 2007

Carbon Neutral Watch: Corporates, Consultants and Credibility
Total Environment Centre
May 2007

Neutral and Beyond: A Review of Carbon Neutrality and Offsets
Total Environment Centre
May 2007

Voluntary Carbon Markets: A Business Guide to What They Are And How They Work
Ecosystem Marketplace
March 2007

The Carbon Neutral Myth: Offset Indulgences For Your Climate Sins
Transnational Institute
February 2007

Voluntary Offsets for Air-Travel Carbon Emissions: Evaluations and Recommendations of Voluntary Offset Companies
Tufts Climate Initiative
January 2007

A Consumers Guide to Retail Carbon Offset Providers
Clean Air - Cool Planet
December 2006

The Carbon Trust Three-Stage Approach to Developing a Robust Offsetting Strategy
Carbon Trust
November 2006

State and Trends of the Carbon Market 2006
World Bank
May 2006

State and Trends of the Carbon Market 2005
World Bank
May 2005

Carbon Offset Resources

Carbon offsets glossary

A lexicon of key terms in the voluntary carbon market

Carbon offsets in the cross-fire

Experts debate the potential and the pitfalls of offsetting, exclusively on endscarbonoffsets.com

2011

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Pre-2011