ENDS Carbon Offsets

Essential carbon offset reference documents

The best freely available analysis and research on carbon offsets, selected by ENDS.

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

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