Carbon Aided

This article is part of the Climate project of Spinwatch.

According to their website (November 2009), Carbon Aided provide 'carbon footprint and carbon management solutions for businesses and individuals'. This includes, carbon footprinting, carbon abatement and offset projects (particularly for large businesses) verified to 'Gold Standard, Voluntary Carbon Standard, Clean Development Mechanism or Joint Implementation Standard'.

Carbon Aided appear to have strong links to the biofuels, carbon capture and other so-called-renewables industries, using offset money (from businesses who benefit from a 'green image') to fund the biofuels and renewables industry particularly promoting electrification and market based economy in the Global South.

Offsetting or exacerbating?

Carbon Aided's main offset projects are in the areas of 'Biofuels, Geothermal energy, Coal mine methane capture and utilisation, Landfill gas capture and utilisation, Rural electrification, Industrial and domestic energy efficiency, Low carbon procurement strategies, Geological sequestration and Solar and wind'. Rather than using offset money to prevent rainforest destruction or plant carbon sequestering trees (the typical image of offset projects), money is flowing into improving the market for carbon producing and ethically flawed industries such as biofuels, large scale geothermal and biochar, which have been accused of 'greenwashing' regarding their own activities, as well as making deals with polluting large-scale industries giving them a 'green sheen'.

Clean Development Mechanism

Their front page emphasises the role of offsetting in global 'development' particularly through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). They critique the credentials of many CDM projects, claiming that they have not had an effect on poverty reduction. Carbon Aided claim that with offset money they will be able to entirely finance effective 'development' projects which may not have otherwise been possible.

Their main campaign is the HEDON project, of which they are a member. This promotes 'clean cooking' through shifting from open fires to bio-gas cookers in the global South, which it claims meets four of the CDM goals (for health, income generation, hunger and education) as they claim not gathering fuel will free time for better education and income generation, as well as healthier cooking. . Thus extra income may well be needed as using bio-gas signifies a change from currency free cooking, to a consumer based model in which fuel must be bought. It would be interesting to know what connections HEDON has with the biofuels and biogas industry who will undoubtedly benefit from this project.

People

'Our team has a combined 100 years of experience of working in energy, environment, development, engineering, project management, emissions trading, corporate finance and strategy, marketing and PR. '

• Dick Jones (former Senior Energy Adviser at the UK Department for International Development)

Clients

According to their website- 'clients include Aviva, John Lewis, Travelex, Building Design Partnership, Durkan, Treasury Holdings, Royal Mail, the Development Bank of the Philipinnes, Ecocem, Practical Action and Christian Aid.

Contact

Address:

CarbonAided Ltd Grosvenor Gardens House 35-37 Grosvenor Gardens Belgravia London SW1W 0BS United Kingdom

Website:

Notes

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