Portal Gives Clarity on Carbon Emission Reduction Standards

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We want both seasoned and novice investors to know what qualitative aspects they need to look at before investing in VERs. Only then can they feel confident that the investment they are making offers maximum stability and durability

London, UK (PRWEB) August 23, 2011

UK’s premiere green market media company, Invezz, released today its latest information portal, Invezz (http://invezz.com/). The goal of the website is to educate businesses and individuals looking to invest in the voluntary carbon market about the common and newly emerging standards of Verified Emission Reductions (VER).

VER is the successful emissions reduction equivalent to one ton of carbon dioxide (tCO2e) and is a trading unit on the relatively young voluntary carbon market. VER producing projects are offset projects that have the purpose of capturing or reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The two end goals behind VER investments are (1) retiring the purchased VERs and offsetting a company or individual’s carbon footprint and (2) reselling the VERs in the future for profit.

Investors in today’s shaky economic environment are very demanding of the type and quality of assets they put their money in. Simplicity and clarity are vital when they evaluate potential new ventures.

“We want both seasoned and novice investors to know what qualitative aspects they need to look at before investing in VERs. Only then can they feel confident that the investment they are making offers maximum stability and durability,” said John Adam of Invezz.

VERs are certified by third-party entities depending on the type of VER project and its location. The standards and regulations of VERs offered on the voluntary carbon market today are continuously being redesigned and refined. Some VER projects are common and easily qualifiable; other niche ones require more specificity in the certifying approach.

Verstandards offers a thorough explanation and a side-by-side comparison of the main standards that make up the carbon certifying market today such as the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCBS), Climate Action Reserve (CAR), Gold Standard, Brazi Mata Viva (BMV) Standard, Forest Carbon Standard International, Chicago Climate Exchange Standard and others. Investors can sort through the information provided and decide which of the standards match their personal preferences and investment criteria best, so that they can choose the best VER project to meet their requirements.

Figures listed on Verstandards, for example, show that Verified Carbon Standard is clearly a leader on the verified carbon market. Monitoring more than 600 projects worldwide, it holds 34% of the VERs transacted in 2010 – almost 1/3 of the market share. The Climate Group, the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), The World Economic Forum and The World Business Council for Sustainable Development established the Verified Carbon Standard in 2009. Just as all other standards, its main purpose is to establish a credible and authoritative standard for VER offsets. Its scope spans across a range of sectors, from forest conservation to renewable energy, to mining, manufacturing and waste disposal. Before certifying an offset project, the Verified Carbon Standard eligibility process looks at critical characteristics such as: project location, conditions prior to project initiation, a description of how the project will achieve GHG emission reductions or removal, the nature of project technologies, products or services, aggregate GHG emission reductions, potential risks that may affect the project’s GHG emission reductions or removal capacity, roles and responsibilities of project participants and detailed environmental impact assessment. This gives a comprehensive view of the project functionality and efficacy – information of utmost importance to any investor.

What differentiates the rest of the carbon standards? What percentage of the market do they hold? What industries do they cover? How adaptable to specific projects are their evaluation criteria? Are there any loopholes in their validation requirements? How robust are their project databases? Verstandards gives simplified answers to all of these questions so that investors gain an at-a-glance insight into the dynamics of the VER verification process.

To find out more about the Verified Carbon Standards and to sign up for future news and trend alerts, visit http://invezz.com

About Invezz
Invezz is a UK-based boutique digital media company providing original and reliable up-to-date information in the area of green investments to large investment company decision makers, NGOs and to eco-minded individuals. Invezz is a part of DEZZ group.

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