World Cup, Al Gore go ‘carbon neutral’

OSLO, Norway (Reuters) — The World Cup, a movie by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and the World Bank are all doing their bit to fight global warming by using the burgeoning but barely regulated business of “carbon neutrality.”

Holidaymakers, worried that jet fuel emissions are warming the planet, and firms such as Europe’s biggest bank HSBC are also seeking to reduce damage to the environment.

“The market has … exploded in the past 12 months,” said Jonathan Shopley, managing director of The Carbon Neutral Co. in London whose clients include carmaker Honda and British broadcaster BSkyB.

“Carbon neutral” schemes typically invest in non-polluting wind, solar or hydropower projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America to offset emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide released by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas.

Reuters