Our Story
CO2balance was founded in 2003 by a group of entrepreneurs led by Mark Simpson who recognised the potential of market-based mechanisms such as carbon offsetting to tackle climate change and promote sustainable development in marginalised communities across the developing world.
As the international carbon market developed, the company began exploring the possibility of using carbon finance as a means to fund renewable energy and improved cookstove projects in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2007, CO2balance registered its first fuel efficient cookstove programme under the UN accredited carbon standard, the Clean Development Mechanism and by 2012 had distributed over 50,000 stoves in East Africa. Following on from this, the company continued to develop new projects under the Gold Standard Foundation, a voluntary carbon standard founded by the WWF, which focuses on quantifying the social and economic benefits of projects in addition to the CO2 emission reductions.
Today, CO2balance has two regional offices in Kenya and Uganda and an extensive portfolio of climate protection projects that deliver measurable benefits to communities throughout Africa. All of our projects are additional, which means that they would not exist without the income that is generated through the sale of the carbon credits. We are proud to be a leader in the field of ethical carbon project development and a founding member of the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA), a non-profit organisation that promotes best practice across the voluntary carbon market.
Together with our expertise in developing ethical carbon finance projects, CO2balance also provides a range of carbon management and impact reporting services that can be tailored towards our client’s needs. The company has developed its own CarbonZero standard for certifying companies, services, or products that are have an entirely neutral carbon footprint which can be achieved through offsetting using CO2balance’s internationally approved carbon credits. Thanks to our bespoke and high quality service, we have established a diverse client base including the likes of Toshiba, Canon Medical, Vita and United Purpose.
Our Model
CO2balance operates as a primary project developer and consultancy for organisations that are looking to certify their own projects under a carbon standard. We are committed to developing high impact projects, under the award-winning Gold Standard Foundation, established in 2003 by the World Wildlife Fund and internationally renowned as the benchmark for quality in certifying climate protection projects. Fundamental to our approach is the participation and empowerment of the local communities we work with, which is crucial to ensuring the long-term acceptance and success of our projects. Since 2010, the company has successfully registered over 270 Gold Standard climate protection projects across sub-Saharan Africa, primarily in the field of safe water supply and efficient cooking which have resulted in significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions as well as long-term community benefits.