12.20.2006 - 08:00am ET

(CSRwire) SAN FRANCISCO, CA, December 20, 2006 - The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) announced today that the new Green-e Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Product Certification Standard is now out for stakeholder comment. CRS is developing the new standard with the Green-e GHG Advisory Group, composed of key environmental organizations, government agencies, businesses, and advocacy organizations who work on climate change issues.

CRS believes the creation of this draft standard is the first step in ensuring credibility in the marketplace for voluntary GHG reduction products. Based on recent press coverage and uncertainty in the marketplace, it is evident that consumers are ready for steps to be taken to provide support to the emerging voluntary greenhouse gas reduction market. CRS aims to provide consumer protection to the growing number of individuals and businesses who choose to decrease their own contribution to global warming by purchasing greenhouse gas reductions.

CRS' well-established stakeholder process is the next step in ensuring a well-designed standard that meets the needs of the marketplace. "We believe in transparency above all else," said Jan Hamrin, president of the Center for Resource Solutions. "For the past six months, CRS staff has worked with the GHG Advisory Group to craft an independent standard we feel confident in. Just as we did with the Green-e standard for renewable energy products, this new standard will incorporate stakeholder comments from any interested party. This ensures a well designed, well-rounded standard that considers suggestions from every pertinent angle. Based on our past successes, we believe this is the best way to create standards and invite anyone interested to participate in the comment period."

The Green-e Program is developing this new certification standard to ensure customers are getting high quality reductions and are protected from double counting and misleading marketing practices.

For 10 years, CRS has developed standards for renewable energy in a complex regulatory environment. CRS brings that valuable experience to the table in the creation of this new standard for greenhouse gas reduction products. The CRS consumer protection standards use transparent, open, stakeholder-driven processes to ensure consensus-based standards that are widely accepted by stakeholders.

The draft standard will be out for comment until the end of January 2007. The draft standard, along with instructions on how to submit comments, can be found at: www.resource-solutions.org/mv/ghgstandard.html. CRS will host a stakeholder conference call in late January to answer questions about the draft Standard. If you are interested in becoming a stakeholder, please contact Alex Pennock at alex@resource-solutions.org.

About Green-e and the Center for Resource Solutions

Launched in 1997, the Green-e Renewable Energy Certification Program is the leading independent certification and verification program that sets standards for renewable energy options. The Green-e logo serves as national symbol for consumer protection and "seal of approval" indicating high quality, verified renewable energy. Green-e provides an easy way for consumers to find environmentally friendly energy options that fit their budget and present much less environmental impact than electricity generated primarily by fossil fuels. To learn more about certified renewable energy available in all 50 states, visit www.green-e.org, or call 888.63.GREEN.

Green-e is a program of the Center for Resource Solutions, a national nonprofit organization that works to make it easier for people and organizations to use renewable energy as a tool for mitigating climate change. CRS designs and operates national and international programs that support the increased supply and use of renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, low-impact hydroelectric power, and other clean energy sources. To learn more about CRS, visit: www.resource-solutions.org.

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