Carbon offset standards

This week's Economist on-line has an article in its Green.view column looking at the baffling array of carbon offset options and registries that have sprouted up over the last year.

The main points are:

• Variable quality of schemes - a tonne of carbon offset can mean many things.
• Growing fears of sharp practice by "carbon cowboys" as prices range from 45c to $45 per tonne of carbon offset.
• Clarity will soon emerge with the highest quality standards surviving, such as the Voluntary Carbon Standard and The Gold Standard developed by the World Wildlife Fund.
• Most of the rest will fall by the wayside.