To Greenbang’s mind, Carbon offsets are bit like saying you’re on a diet and then going to McDonalds and ordering a Big Mac, extra large fries, an ice cream and a diet coke: sure, you’re making a minor improvement, but you could be doing a lot more.

The Carbon Trust, a government organisation that helps businesses cut their energy use and carbon emissions, has taken the wraps off a new scheme that will give the enterprise equivalent of a Brownie badge for good green behaviour.

offsetters need not apply – the Carbon Trust Standard certificate only goes to companies that can prove they have actually cut their emissions themselves, rather than turning to offsetting.

According to the Carbon Trust, companies will have to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint and actually make real reductions year-on-year” to get the Standard certificate.

Here’s already got theirs:

• Abbey Corrugated
• B&Q
• Crown Prosecution Service
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Department for International Development
• DSM Nutritional Products – Dalry production site Scotland
• King’s College London
• London Fire Brigade
• Morrisons
• Thames Water
• Trinity Mirror
• University of Central Lancashire

Tags: business, Carbon, carbon trust, certificate, offset, standard