Japanese Supermarket Selling Carbon-Offset Products

Carbon-offset is the act of mitigating, or offsetting, the sometimes unavoidable carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced in everyday life or regular economic activities by investing in carbon emissions reduction projects that may have an equivalent value. In support of this, Seiyu Ltd., a major Japanese supermarket chain, announced in September 2007 that it is selling products to offset national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. By purchasing the products (presently two kinds of shopping bags are for sale) consumers can contribute individually to Japan's target for reducing GHG emissions.

Here is how the scheme works. Through an offset service provided by the non-profit organization Carbon Offset Japan, part of the profits from the product sales is transferred to the national government for free as carbon credits approved by the United Nations. This allows consumers to help Japan achieve its national reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions of six percent below 1990 levels agreed under the Kyoto Protocol.

One of the products, a polyethylene shopping bag priced at 20 yen each (about US$0.18) went on sale in June 2007, and can be exchanged free of charge when it wears out. The other is the company's own eco-brand of canvas shopping bag, which was to go on sale in late October. Seiyu is trying to broadly appeal to its customers to promote better understanding of the carbon-offset scheme as a global warming countermeasure that individuals can participate in.

http://www.seiyu.co.jp/english/index.shtml

Posted: 2007/12/12 11:44:51 AM
Japanese version