Climate Care

Climate Care
Private
Industry Green
Founded 1997
Founder Mike Mason, Edward Hanrahan and Tom Morton
Headquarters Oxford, United Kingdom
Number of locations
 4 (United Kingdom, Kenya)
Area served
 Worldwide
Products Carbon offsets, RECs, Social impact outcomes
Services CSR programmes, Government Aid Programmes, Supply Chain and market development projects in India and Africa
Website climatecare.org

ClimateCare is a UK-based B corporation, and a founding member of the B Corporation movement in the UK. It has offices in Oxford, England and Nairobi, Kenya.

Its focus is on delivering projects that cut carbon and fund social development and it has targets to cut 20 million tonnes of CO2 and improve the lives of 20 million people by 2020.

Founded in 1997, it is best known for its role providing carbon offset services, with a particular focus on using carbon finance to support its 'Climate+Care Projects' - projects which both cut carbon and improve lives. It also provides businesses and governments with sustainable development programmes, environmental and social impact measurement and bespoke project development.

On 24 August 2007, ClimateCare announced that it had successfully delivered its first million tonnes of greenhouse gas emission reductions.[1]

In April 2016 it announced it has funded over 20.6 million tonnes of Emission Reductions worldwide and improved the lives of 16.5 million people.[2]

Climate Care was sold to J.P.Morgan in 2008 and became part of JPMorgan Chase's Environmental Markets business.[3] It was taken private through a Management Buy Out in 2011 and now operates under a 'profit for purpose' business model as a certified B corporation.

Key Clients

ClimateCare works with Governments, NGOs and businesses around the world, including the likes of Aviva , Jaguar Land Rover , and The Co-operative to deliver integrated Climate+Care programmes that cut carbon and improve lives.

Areas of expertise

ClimateCare designs and delivers projects that deliver against multiple Sustainable Development Goals and measures both environmental and social outcomes from these projects. It uses a market approach to sustainable development, kick starting markets for live enhancing goods and services.

For example, it has developed an award winning Revolving Fund model[4] which it is using to create a new market for clean burning ethanol cookers in Kenya, helping the community to leapfrog traditional development pathways.

It also provides consultancy, for example working with the Government of Kenya to develop NAMAs as part of its low carbon development plan and transforming the charcoal supply chain for the FAO.

History

2016

ClimateCare announced it had cut 20.6 million tonnes of CO2 and improve life for 16.5 million people

Shortlisted for Consultancy of the Year in the Better Society Awards

Launched safe water to school programme with Jaguar Land Rover

2015

B Corporation Certified (one of first 10 companies in the UK) - Score of 141

Finalist - Business Green Consultancy of the Year

Won Carbon Finance transaction of Year

2014

Queen's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development - for outstanding contributions to tackling climate change and alleviating poverty

Best Project Developer, Public Health

2013

Working with the Co-operative to develop bespoke projects in their supply chain, integrating offsetting into their broader business objectives.

ClimateCare wins new award for Best Project Developer – Public Health

2012

Winner of Carbon Finance Transaction of the Year for Carbon for Water.

ClimateCare wins three awards from Carbon Trading magazine for its work in the voluntary carbon market.

Works with Kenyan Government to develop 10 year National Climate Change Plan.

2011

Gyapa stoves programme in Ghana becomes the largest Gold Standard Cookstove project in the world.

ClimateCare is bought out of J.P. Morgan by the management team.

2010

Lead author on new Gold Standard methodology to bring carbon finance to safe water provision

Independent global leaders, The Elders, Chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu select ClimateCare as their offset partner.

2009

World first issuance of Gold Standard cookstove credits from Ugastove, Uganda.

ClimateCare’s efficient cookstove project wins Innovation of the Year award from Energy Risk.

2008

Climate Care is acquired by J.P. Morgan and forms foundation of Environmental Markets division.

2007

ClimateCare are founding architects of ICROA, driving robustness and assurance to the voluntary carbon market.

Authors first efficient cookstove methodology, adopted by Gold Standard and so far used by 55 projects around the world.

Partnership with TUI Travel to develop a bespoke portfolio of emission reduction projects in key TUI travel destinations. This forms the cornerstone of the World Care Fund, the largest emission reduction programme in the travel industry.

Achieved 1 million tonnes of emissions reductions.

2006

Nairobi office opened to ensure more effective project management.

Prince of Wales offsets the Royal Household through ClimateCare.

ClimateCare partners with Land Rover to launch one of the largest retail offset schemes in the world.

2005

ClimateCare plays key role in developing international standards for voluntary offsetting, including being an original funder of the Gold Standard Foundation & working with Climate Group to set up the Voluntary Carbon Standard.

2004

Partnership with the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy to bring carbon finance for development projects.

2003

World-first application of carbon finance to cookstoves in Bangladesh

2002

Funded our first energy efficiency project through carbon finance in Mauritius

2001

Work with DEFRA to develop rules for the Voluntary Carbon MarketOffers online service to enable individuals and companies to offset through the website

2000

Partnership with The Co-operative to offer offset mortgages – one of the first products in the world to include a carbon offset.

1998

ClimateCare uses offset funds to restore rainforest in Uganda.

1997

Kyoto Protocol adopted by the international community, to tackle climate change.

Framework for carbon offsetting internationally recognised.

ClimateCare founded to encourage organisations and individuals to take voluntary action on climate change.

.

Carbon offsetting

ClimateCare funds projects all over the world, particularly in developing countries, which produce verified reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and have associated social benefits for the local communities.

It is best known for funding these projects through results based payments, and in particular by selling the greenhouse gas emission reductions to businesses and individuals. These emission reductions are purchased by individuals and organisations in order to compensate for their own emissions - a process known as carbon offsetting. ClimateCare encourages offsetting as one part of a strategy for reducing emissions, to take responsibility for emissions that cannot yet be eliminated at source.

Historically there was some controversy about whether carbon offsetting encourages more emissions from individuals in developed countries by believing that it relieves them of guilt[5] or whether it encourages them to become further interested in reducing their carbon footprint.[6][7] Carbon offset schemes have received criticism from some for their lack of regulation and perceived effectiveness. Some have criticised the use of carbon offsetting by certain businesses as an example of ‘greenwash’.[8]

In their report on the Voluntary Carbon Market, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee concluded that research was needed on “what exactly encourages people to reduce their emissions” and the role that carbon offsetting could play in this. Regarding the evidence submitted to their enquiry they stated that “we found little substantial evidence to support the view that offsetting encourages ethical carelessness.”[9]

Research shows that in 2013 the typical offset buyer cut almost 17% of their scope 1 (direct) emissions, while the typical non-offset buyer reduced scope 1 emissions by less than 5% in the same year.[10]

In 2014, Research by Imperial College London showed that funding low carbon projects in the developing world is one of the most cost effective ways of both reducing emissions and delivering positive impacts on people’s lives. For every tonne of carbon offset, this research shows that on average $664 of benefits are delivered to the communities where carbon reduction projects are based. This research also highlights a host of business benefits experienced by those with offset programmes.

In 2015 the UN endorsed carbon finance as a means to tackle climage change and called all businesses to go Climate Neutral Now.

Many organisations are confused about Carbon Offsetting and what it can mean for them. To help cut through this confusion ClimateCare worked with Forum for the Future to publish a carbon offset mythbuster article for people considering whether or not to go Climate Neutral.

Examples of ClimateCare Projects funded through carbon finance

ClimateCare funds many projects around the world mainly in developing countries with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting sustainable development in these countries. Projects are submitted to various independent standards to ensure accuracy, additionality and verification that emissions reductions are achieved. Standards for carbon offsetting include the Gold Standard,[11] developed by charities such as WWF, and the Voluntary Carbon Standard developed by The Climate Group.

LifeStraw Carbon for Water Project

ClimateCare partnered with health company Vestergaard to develop this project that uses carbon finance to fund provision of safe water to 4 million people in Western Kenya. The project was the first in the world to link carbon credits with water provision at scale and has won awards including the Carbon Finance Transaction of the Year award 2012.[12]

This project cuts carbon and provides safe water by distributing 877,505 LifeStraw Family filters to households in Kenya’s Western Province. The gravity driven point-of-use water filters require no electricity or consumables.The project relies on carbon finance. Without it, filters would not have been distributed at scale in the region and the on-going operations, including education campaigns, could not be maintained.

The project was bought to life by film producers Evan Ebramson and Carmen Elsa Lopez in the award winning Carbon for Water Film[13]

AquaClara Project

Non-profit organisation Aqua Clara International, partnered with ClimateCare to establish a water purification project in Kenya, manufacturing and distributing household water filters that replace the need to boil water.The resulting emissions reductions are measured, independently verified and sold to businesses that want to reduce their unavoidable carbon footprint by supporting projects that improve people’s lives as well as the environment.

Funds generated through the sale of carbon credits make this project possible and, as a result, 18,750 families will have safe water by May 2017 cutting an expected 50,000 tonnes of CO2 every year.

Ugastoves Project

In Uganda, more than 90% of people use biomass, such as wood and charcoal, for cooking.

This project creates a market for fuel-efficient stoves in households and institutions throughout Uganda. These stoves use less fuel than traditional cooking methods, cutting carbon emissions and substantially reducing indoor air pollution, making them much less damaging to the health of the cooks and their families.

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ ClimateCare delivers 1 million tonnes! :: ClimateCare
  2. ↑ http://climatecare.org/press-release-climatecare-reports-impressive-impact-figures/
  3. ↑ http://www.jpmorgan.com/pages/jpmorgan/investbk/solutions/commodities/environmental
  4. ↑ http://climatecare.org/climatecare-wins-carbon-finance-transaction-of-the-year-award/
  5. ↑ Monbiot, George, Heat; How to stop the planet burning
  6. ↑ The Voluntary Carbon Offset Market, report by The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee
  7. ↑ Sustainable Consumption Round Table, I Will if You Will
  8. ↑ Friends of the Earth: Press Releases: : CARBON OFF-SETTING
  9. ↑ The Voluntary Carbon Offset Market, report by The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, p.14
  10. ↑ http://www.forest-trends.org/documents/files/doc_4858.pdf
  11. ↑ WWF - Gold Standard
  12. ↑ http://climatecare.org/climatecare-supported-project-wins-carbon-finance-transaction-of-the-year/
  13. ↑ http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/carbon-for-water-film/
  14. ↑ http://www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/ConsumersGuidetoCarbonOffsets.pdf
  15. ↑ http://www.forumforthefuture.org/greenfutures/shop/special-edition/offset-positive

External links

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