FOCUS offsets carbon dioxide from customers' internet deliveries
FOCUS has undertaken a study to look at the carbon emissions generated by its delivery of products purchased by customers through the focusdiy.co.uk website. The study looked at emissions at the distribution centre, where the products are packaged for delivery, through to transportation of goods to customers' homes.

With the help of The CarbonNeutral Company and the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management, it has been independently calculated that 33 tonnes of carbon dioxide are released due to FOCUS internet deliveries in a year. FOCUS will now start to look at how these emissions can be reduced, and in the meantime, 33 tonnes have been offset through methane capture in Germany and renewable energy projects in India.

This means that FOCUS customers can shop from home on the website in the knowledge that their deliveries are not contributing to global warming.

The technology projects that will be supported by FOCUS are:

Rhine-Ruhr Waste Gas Power Project, Germany
This project captures methane from three abandoned coal mines in Germany. Methane is 21 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas. The project will generate emission reductions of 385,500 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2006 and 2007.

Jamnagar Wind Power Project, India
This project sees the construction of a new wind turbine bundle in India. By providing renewable energy, the project helps to reduce India's reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation. The project is expected to generate emission reductions of over 200,000 tonnes of CO2 between 2006 and 2008.

Selco Solar Water Heating Systems Project, India
This project promotes the installation of solar water heating systems in the Indian state of Karnataka. SELCO, the organisation behind the project, is a two-times winner at the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy. The systems will generate emission reductions of an estimated 78,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent between 2007 and 2013.

The CarbonNeutral Company www.carbonneutral.com
The CarbonNeutral Company leads the way in voluntary action on climate change for businesses and individuals. It is a for-profit company owned by institutional investors, founders, private individuals, management and staff.

The majority of The CarbonNeutral Company's clients now select technology-based carbon offsets. By the end of 2007, it is estimated that 10% of offsets will be forestry, and 90% technology. In the period June 2006 - July 2007, it is estimated that 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide will have been saved through the support of 25-35 offset projects.

Quality standards
The CarbonNeutral Company has a market-leading quality assurance programme. This includes:

• The CarbonNeutral Protocol - a public and independently reviewed Standard (see the full document at here).
• The Protocol covers the critical elements of a climate change programme including measurement of emissions, commitment to reductions, eligible types of offsets, registry, verification and communication.
• KPMG is commissioned to annually review The CarbonNeutral Company operating system, and to verify all aspects of the carbon management chain (this ensures, for example, against double counting).
• Details of carbon purchases are published in full on a carbon registry.
• There is a guarantee for every tonne of carbon a client buys i.e. should an offset project not meet its reductions targets, The CarbonNeutral Company will make up any shortfall on behalf of its clients

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