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Why CSR?

Because sustainability matters - for profits, for people, and for the planet.

Corporate social responsibility is all about companies giving something back to the communities and environment that sustains them.

Firms wishing to make that commitment can contribute in many ways. At home, they can pursue environmentally sound business practices. Abroad, they can help fulfill basic human needs by affording access to clean drinking water, sustainable food supplies, and education to people in developing nations.

Another option is to provide funding for environmental and wildlife projects that protect endangered species and coral reefs. Some of these combine conservation and development initiatives. We believe this combination is the key to combating climate change in ways that benefit the local people and that part of the planet they call home. And this is why we help corporations put CSR into practice and reduce their carbon footprint.

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CSR Information

How we work

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Business Relations

Why partner with GreenLife CSR?

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Carbon Markets

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Government

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CSR Information Top back to top

How we work

GreenLife CSR is a trusted partner GreenLife CSR has a unique niche in the carbon offsetting market. Many companies which deal in carbon trading concentrate their efforts on providing consultation on the carbon markets and how to sell and buy carbon credits.

Our services have gone one step above the normal consultancy. In GreenLife we have our own NGO which has been active for over 20 years around the world working together with communities and different environments. When we sell the carbon credits we are selling a product which we have implemented and designed in accordance to the local communities needs.

Our projects are personally monitored by GreenLife.

If you ask us what is the current status of the project investment of your company? We can give you an answer immediately as we do not outsource our work to another agency. The fact that we have no middlemen involved - from our consultancy in Europe to our field work in developing countries - means we are hands on all the time.

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Why partner with GreenLife CSR? Because everyone wins when you do.

GreenLife CSR is a trusted partner to companies who want to reach out to communities in need and reduce their carbon footprint with solutions that strengthen their business.

As part of the GreenLife network, we have served communities around the world by connecting with companies seeking to support local developmental and environmental solutions.

We understand the carbon market and the needs of people in Africa, Asia and South America, gearing our projects to everyone's best benefit.

Our reputation hinges on our ability to serve the interests of the local population, our clients, and the climate. And our track record of success says much about how we can help turn a companys CSR or carbon offsetting investment into a win-win solution for all.

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On-site education

For more information please visit:

Linkbild Korallen THE CORAL REEFS PROJECT
www.greenlifesociety.org
Linkbild Mangroven MANGROVE PROJECT
www.greenlifesociety.org/
Linkbild Schildkr�te THE SEA TURTLE PROJECT
www.greenlifesociety.org
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Carbon Markets Top back to top

What is a carbon offset? A good way to go greener.

In order to help people and habitats battling at the forefront against climate change, the carbon offset provides some of the best support a company can give.

Scientists and scientific institutions that have taken a stand agree that to avoid catastrophic climate change, carbon emissions must come down by as much as 80 percent over the next four decades. Carbon offsets go a long way towards reaching that goal. These are credits for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions made elsewhere, for example, at wind farms, in biomass plants, or by hydroelectric dams. They provide funding to finance renewable energy projects and reduce fossil-fuel consumption.

A company that buys one ton of carbon offsets prevents that much CO2 from entering the atmosphere, for example, by substituting solar or hydro power for energy derived from burning coal.

A fast means of reducing carbon output, it can also benefit local communities by providing employment and development opportunities.

Credibility matters: Every carbon offset must be trustworthy, so that the investing company knows it reduces emissions that would not have occurred otherwise and does result in increased emissions elsewhere. What's more, it must be verifiably and permanently retired so it cannot be resold or traded.

Why offset your carbon emissions? The general consensus is that a growing population and increasing consumption will drive energy demand and cause global temperatures to rise, perhaps by as little as two or as much as four or more degrees Celsius in the century ahead. But however sharply temperatures actually rise, the scientific mainstream believes we need to slash overall global emissions to prevent dramatic climate change and a severely adverse impact on our economy.

A carbon reduction initiative that uses offset incentives has an immediate impact. A cost-effective response to public pressure, an offset program is a viable means of meeting carbon reduction goals and mitigating future risks. Businesses opt for offsets on ethical as well as practical grounds. They want to be part of the climate change solution and be prepared for a future where carbon is costly and strictly regulated.

The logic behind offsets is straightforward: As far as the atmosphere goes, it doesn't matter where greenhouse gases come from; what matters is bringing the total down. Your firm can offset the GHG it is unable to reduce on its own, benefiting the climate and financing projects that further reduce emissions and help people in need.

What guarantees do you get? Every company would do well to invest in offsets that are third-party verified and audited. International non-profit organizations offer certification schemes for carbon-offset projects such as the Gold Standard and Voluntary Carbon Standard. Be aware though that these private organizations have their own verification criteria.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change offers the only official qualification for carbon credits in a verification process called the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). It validates projects through a rigorous public registration and issuance process designed to ensure real, measurable, and verifiable results. These certificates are not easily attained because of the difficulties of assessing a carbon sequestration projects' long-term benefits on the local environment and society.

Do offsets solve the global warming problem? Though not the be-all, end-all answer, offsets do make a big difference. A company's decarbonization initiatives take time and money. Imagine, for example, the effort and cost involved in increasing an entire fleet's fuel efficiency, not to mention converting to hybrid drives. Even relatively modest reduction goals can stretch a growing business to its limits.

Carbon offsetting can achieve 100 percent reductions, immediately and at remarkable low cost, as well as fund other emission reduction projects that drive down carbon production around the world.

Is it for real? Do the math and you will find the economics are sound. Say your company wishes to put a cap on its carbon emissions, but you can't spare the resources to go all the way with renewable energy or a carbon-neutral fleet. So you decide to outsource a part of your commitment to an offshore project that will help you meet your carbon cap by saving what your company can't.

You learn of a village in Bangladesh whose only source of energy is a low-grade fossil fuel. The credit you buy helps pay for solar panels the villagers can't afford, enabling the transition from carbon-intensive to carbon-neutral energy supply. This short-term fix has a lasting impact because you have made a sustainable reduction in global net carbon emissions and helped a community in a developing nation adopt a cleaner technology.

To succeed you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you. Tony Dorsett

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Governmental-given Guidelines

The carbon credit process was set up under the Kyoto Protocol and helped along by a couple of international and European bodies:

Kyoto Protocol This international protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) requires signatories in industrialized country to meet GHG emission reduction targets relative to 1990 levels.

European Emission Trading System (ETS) The European Union established a cap-and-trade system for carbon dioxide emission to meet its obligations to reduce greenhouse gas concentration under the Kyoto Protocol. The trading system brings member countries and the most polluting industry sectors on board.

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Accepted by the Kyoto Protocol and the European Emission Trading System, this carbon-reducing mechanism enables emission reduction and prevention projects in developing countries to earn certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to one ton of CO2. CERs may be traded, sold, and used by industrialized countries to a meet a part of their emission reduction targets.

The projects must qualify through a rigorous and public registration

and issuance process designed to ensure real, measurable, and verifiable emission reductions beyond what would have occurred without the project. Once the UNFCCC has accredited a carbon offset project, it qualifies for carbon credits and may be linked with official emission trading schemes such as the European Union Emission Trading Scheme or Kyoto Protocol Certified Emission Reductions.

For more information please visit:

Linkbild UNFCCC United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change:
http://unfccc.int/2860.php
Linkbild ETS United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/
climat/emission/index_en.htm
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