Green-e Climate Certifies Balanced Footprint's U.S.-Based Carbon Offsets

Balanced Footprint offers quality carbon offsets sourced from domestic renewable energy and methane capture projects

Contact Jeff Swenerton Communications Director Center for Resource Solutions 415-561-2119 jeff@resource-solutions.org

Steven Taylor Marketing & PR Balanced Footprint 714-965-0831 staylor@balancedfootprint.com

Peter Weigand Chairman / CEO Balanced Footprint 714-965-0885 pweigand@balancedfootprint.com

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (September 21, 2009)—Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) today announced that Green-e® Climate has added Balanced Footprint to its growing network of retail greenhouse gas emission reduction (carbon offset) providers that offer products certified by Green-e Climate, the nation's leading certification and verification program for retail offsets. Balanced Footprint's U.S.–based carbon offset products have met or exceeded Green-e Climate's strict standards for project verification and measurement, consumer transparency, and truth-in-marketing claims. Balanced Footprint has been granted the use of the Green-e Climate Certified logo.

"Balanced Footprint's carbon offsets are sourced from domestic renewable energy and methane capture facilities that meet the highest standards for environmental quality. By supporting these projects, Balanced Footprint has made green jobs, cleaner air and water, and positive action on reducing our contribution to climate change a priority," said Jane Valentino, manager of Green-e Climate. "We are impressed with the company's commitment to transparency and the extra steps it's taking to assure their customers that offsets purchased are real, additional, and verified."

By purchasing Balanced Footprint's Carbon Offsets, business and consumers will support currently available renewable resources as well as aid the development of new renewable resources to be built in the U.S. Their methane capture projects will reduce methane emissions from landfills, second largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States according to the EPA.

"We are pleased to have our product and projects recognized and verified by Green-e Climate, the nation's leading carbon offset certification program," said Peter Weigand, Chairman and CEO of Balanced Footprint. "We have chosen to offer our customers U.S. based carbon offsets because we support the growth in the green jobs it creates as well as believe America should take the lead in global climate change initiatives. Today, less than three percent of our nation's electricity is powered by clean renewable resources so we felt it important to offer consumer and business customers our domestic products that both provide direct carbon emission reductions and supports renewable energy generation in the United States."

Green-e Climate is a consumer-protection program requiring that greenhouse gas emission reductions be verified according to strict project-level certifications that ensure the reductions have taken place, are permanent, and come from projects that would not have happened under a "business as usual" scenario. Sellers of certified offsets must provide customers with a product content label that explains where the reductions were sourced from, including the locations and types of projects. Sellers must also undergo a yearly audit to ensure their supply of offsets matches their sales, and comply with Green-e Climate's consumer-disclosure and truth in advertising requirements.

About Balanced Footprint
Balanced Footprint is a carbon marketing company based in Boston with offices in Los Angeles and Houston. The company's primary focus is selling carbon offsets to businesses and consumers. All purchases, sales and business practices are independently verified and monitored by Green-e Climate. All carbon offsets are sourced from certified, verified U.S. based projects. Learn more at www.balancedfootprint.com.

About Green-e Climate and Center for Resource Solutions
Green-e Climate is the nation's first certification program for greenhouse gas emission reductions sold to consumers on the retail market. This consumer-protection program strengthens the voluntary market by providing credible oversight of and transparency to retail offset products. Green-e Climate is a program of the Center for Resource Solutions, a nonprofit that creates policy and market solutions to advance sustainable energy. Learn more about Green-e Climate at www.green-e.org/climate.

 

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