UK to unveil standard for offsetting emissions

LONDON, Jan 16 (Reuters) Britain will unveil on Thursday a standard for offsetting carbon emissions, Local Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw said.

In an interview with BBC television late yesterday, Bradshaw acknowledged people were confused about offsetting.

''There is some confusion out there, not just among consumers -- even at times among government ministers,'' he said.

''That's why this government will become the first government in the world this Thursday to publish a standard for carbon offsetting, so that people will be able to tell whether the offsetting schemes they are using or thinking of using really do take that carbon out of the global carbon economy for good and whether they can trust the schemes they are using.'' In December the British government said it would spend up to three million pounds offsetting the environmental damage caused by flights by government ministers by buying carbon credits.

Marks and Spencer said yesterday it would spend 200 million pounds going ''green'' and it aimed to become carbon neutral by 2012.

Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas blamed for global warming.

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