Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
responsibility. The most well-known standards for reporting are the Global Reporting
Initiative and AccountAbility 1000 series. In 2010, ISO launched ISO 26000 to provide
guidelines on corporate social responsibility reporting for the public and private sectors.
Carbon offsets, or in more general terms, GHG offsets, are financial instruments designed
to reduce or neutralize GHG emissions. These instruments are tradable commodities repre-
senting a unit of GHG (generally one metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent) that can be
purchased by individuals, governments, or businesses to counterbalance their GHG emissions.
Money generated by selling offsets is used to finance projects that reduce GHG emissions by
sequestering or avoiding the emission of GHG.
In terms of carbon emission reductions, there are two systems that could be implemented
in the future: a carbon tax and a cap-and-trade system. A carbon tax is based on economic
disincentive by punishing the emitter with a tax. A carbon-cap-and-trade is a market-based
system that creates an incentive to avoid pollution. Carbon-cap-and-trades looks more
favorable to be implemented in the near future as part of governmental regulations or as
voluntary programs.
REFERENCES
AA1000AS. 2008. AA1000 Assurance Standard 2008. AccountAbility. ISBN: 978-1-901693-55-3.
AcountAbility. 2007. AA1000 Series of Standards. Available at: <http://www.accountability.org/default.
aspx?id=228> [Accessed June 8, 2010].
Bernhart, M. 2009. The rules of the game.
Communication World
26 (5): 24-28.
Beschorner, T. and Müller, M. 2007. Social standards: Toward an active ethical involvement of businesses in
developing countries.
Journal of Business Ethics
73: 11-20.
Carbon Catalog. n.d. Carbon catalog. Available at: <http://www.carboncatalog.org/> [Accessed January 12,
2011].
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). n.d. About CDM. Available at: <http://cdm.unfccc.int/about/index.
html> [Accessed June 9, 2010].
Cochran, P. L. and Wood, R. A. 1984. Corporate social responsibility and financial performance.
Academy of
Management Journal
27 (1): 42-56.
Coyne, K. L. 2006. Sustainability auditing.
Environmental Quality Management
16 (2): 25-41.
Deardorff, J. 2010. Some companies greenwash in effort to clean up: What does “green” in label mean anyway?
McClatchy-Tribune Business News. Available at: ABI/INFORM Complete (Document ID: 2026947461)
[Accessed May 27, 2010].
Department of Energy (DOE). 2008. Greenhouse gas (GHG) offsets. Available at: <http://apps3.eere.energy.
gov/greenpower/markets/carbon.shtml> [Accessed June 8, 2010].
DiPeso, J. 2007. Carbon offsets: Is the environment getting what you pay for?
Environmental Quality
Management
17 (2): 89-94.
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). 2010. Guides for the use of environmental marketing claims.
Title 16—Part 260. Available at: <http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/grnrule/guides980427.htm#260.6> [Accessed
May 27, 2010].
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). n.d. Cap and trade. Available at: <http://www.epa.gov/captrade/>
[Accessed June 14, 2010].
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 1994. Chemicals in the environment: Perchloroethylene (CAS NO.
127-18-4). OPPT Chemical Fact Sheet. Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. Washington, D.C.: EPA.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 1998. Environmental labeling, issues, policies, and practices
worldwide. Pollution Prevention Division Office of Pollution, Prevention and Toxics. EPA 742-R-98-009.
Washington, D.C.: EPA.
Futerra. n.d. The greenwash guide. Futerra sustainability communications. Available at: <http://www.futerra.
co.uk/downloads/Greenwash_Guide.pdf> [Accessed August 1, 2011].
Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN). 2008. Members and associates. Available at: <http://www.globalecola-
belling.net/members.html> [Accessed June 2, 2010].
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). 2006a. Sustainability reporting guidelines. Available at: <http://www.
globalreporting.org/ReportingFramework/G3Online/> [Accessed August 1, 2011].
