Ethical interests exist in the operation of carbon-offset markets as well as the selection and processes involved in ethically appropriate projects and the manner in which the offsets are derived and applied.

Carbon as a principal component of greenhouse gases contributes to atmospheric loading. Emissions from human activities can be quantified and regulated either by national authorities or voluntarily by the emission sources. Voluntary regulation may be either self-regulated or by agreement in compliance with an industry standard. In its essential form, offsetting links the generation of qualifying emissions at one set of coordinates with a corresponding reduction at another. Where the offset occurs as intended, the resultant effect should be a zero increase in the loading of emissions. An overall reduction in the total environmental ...