General Terms and Conditions of Online Purchasing
Plant-a-Tree
Plant-a-Tree is not an offset product. With Plant-a-Tree, the rate of carbon capture is not measured, so although a tree (or shrub) is planted, the actual carbon absorbed is not calculated as it is with carbon offsets. So, while you cannot say you offset your emissions through Plant-a-Tree, you can say you reduce them.
Carbon Neutral does not provide individual serial numbers for online Plant-a-Tree purchases, but does hold an internal Plant-a-Tree registry and assigns a unique serial number against each Plant-a-Tree unit to ensure prevention of double counting or double selling.
Surrender of Offsets
Carbon Neutral will periodically surrender all offsets purchased online in batches, meaning that individual transactions and names of purchasing entities will not be identifiable, and purchasers will not be provided with individual serial numbers.
Gold Standard Verified Emission Reduction (VERs)
Under Gold Standard, VERs are tracked in the international Gold Standard Impact Registry using unique serial numbers in order to ensure transparency for prevention of double counting or double selling. Surrender of these credits can be made publicly visible. Gold Standard is seen as a premium standard as it ensures a ‘do no harm’ policy, not just measuring climate change but environmental, social and economic ‘co-benefits’ as well.
Gold Standard Planned Emission Reduction (PERs)
Carbon Neutral’s PERs are issued by The Gold Standard Foundation. The Foundation recognises that forestry project cycles are lengthy; reflecting the time taken to sequester CO2-e in forests. The Gold Standard also recognises that reforestation requires high levels of upfront finance to source land and plant trees. In acknowledgement of this, The Gold Standard issues planned, expected sequestration credits known as (PERs). These issued credit units are placed on The Gold Standard’s Impact Registry and are identified by unique serial numbers which can be assigned to a purchaser. When the sequestration represented by PER units actually occurs (after third-party audit), the PER units will automatically become verified emission reduction units (VERS – see above).
Achieving carbon neutrality through the purchase of Gold Standard PER (Planned Emission Reduction) units: as it is some years before actual carbon is sequestered, Carbon Neutral retires an equivalent number of verified carbon credits from a (Climate Active) compliant international project. This ensures that purchasers can claim carbon offsetting (and carbon neutrality where applicable).
Biodiverse Reforestation Carbon Offsets – BRCOs
Carbon Neutral sells BRCOs before full sequestration is realised. As it is some years before actual carbon is sequestered, Carbon Neutral independently retires an equivalent number of verified carbon credits from an international project. This ensures that purchasers can claim carbon offsetting (and carbon neutrality where applicable).
Logo and Branding
Carbon Neutral sets out specific terms and conditions for the use of its logo and branding in its Logo and Branding Terms of Use which can be found here. Carbon Neutral trademarks are the exclusive property of Carbon Neutral. Any use or display of our branding must be in accordance with its Terms of Use.
Non-compliance will be treated as a violation of Carbon Neutral’s intellectual property rights and must be rectified by the user to comply with those Terms of Use.
General Explanatory Notes
Certificates
All online purchasers will receive a certificate via email:
- if purchasing both Plant-a-Tree and offsets you will receive a separate certificate for each product
- if purchasing multiple offset types in one transaction you will receive a single certificate showing the total quantity of offsets purchased
- certificates will not display cumulative totals when making additional purchases online
Payment Terms for payment by Direct Bank Transfer
30 day payment terms apply for all payments made by Direct bank transfer to Carbon Neutral.
Charitable Status
Carbon Neutral is not a charity and does not hold Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. Carbon Neutral is a profit-for-purpose business which means that purchases from us do not constitute donations: for every tree and shrub purchased, we must plant or have planted it.
The purchase of trees or carbon offsets by business clients may be a tax deductible business expense. We advise purchasers to seek their own independent tax advice on this matter.
Compliance with these General Terms and Conditions
You agree to be bound by, and comply with, these General Terms and Conditions by:
- using this website;
- completing your registration through this website; and/or
- purchasing products from this website.