EcoSecurities And ClimateBiz Announce That More Corporates Are Implementing Carbon Management Strategies To Tackle Climate Change

OXFORD, UK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EcoSecurities (LSE:ECO), a leading company in the business of sourcing, developing and trading emission reductions from greenhouse gas abatement projects, and ClimateBiz, the business resource for climate management, announce the findings of their ‘Carbon Offsetting Trends Survey 2008', one of the first research studies to focus on corporate attitudes in relation to the concept of carbon offsetting.

The main highlights of the research findings, which sampled 65 large and multinational organisations, included:

• 43% of organisations had already implemented an existing carbon management strategy, with a further 34% of organisations claiming to be in the process of developing one.
• 74% of all respondents indicated that their organisation had already started implementing internal emission reduction activities.
• Over 88% of organisations were either currently undertaking carbon offsetting activities or would consider offsetting in the future.
• Experience and Brand/Reputation of the carbon credit supplier, at nearly 88% and 86% respectively, are ranked as most important when making a purchasing decision.
• The most desirable project location for the purchase of carbon offsets was North America, closely followed by South America.
• According to the responses received energy efficiency commands the highest average price per tonne at €13.10 per carbon credit, whereas large-scale hydro projects commands the least at €5.9 per tCO2e.

Lisa Ashford, Head of Commercialisation, Europe, at EcoSecurities commented, "What is extremely encouraging about this research is to see how seriously corporations are taking the issue of climate change, and how proactive many of them are being in developing long-term strategies to minimise their carbon impact." Ashford continued, "In addition, the survey shows that the voluntary carbon market is becoming much more transparent in terms of pricing, preferred project types and locations of offset projects. Corporate buyers wishing to offset have come a long way up the learning curve in the last year which is a very positive sign for the future development of the market."

"As the first study to look at the decision-making processes of the large, multinational companies who are purchasing these carbon offsets, this survey adds useful new insight into the factors that are helping to shape the voluntary carbon market," said Matthew Wheeland, Managing Editor, ClimateBiz. "It also suggests that companies are looking seriously at offsets as a supplement to their own environmental goals, not just as a marketing tool."

The survey received over 65 responses from leading large and multinational corporations, covering a diverse mix of sectors and industries. It provides significant insight into how organisations are dealing with the transition to a low carbon economy. In addition to being placed on www.ecosecurities.com, www.greenbiz.com and www.climatebiz.com, the online questionnaire was supported by CleanTech.org and 2 Degrees who promoted the survey on their websites, and The Climate Group, who served as an external reviewer to the report.

The results of the carbon offsetting survey are encouraging and compelling, largely due to the fact that the research outlined that a large proportion of the companies surveyed were already on the road to both planning and implementing a range of carbon management activities. For a full version of the Carbon Offsetting Trends Survey 2008, please visit www.ecosecurities.com/registered/CarbonOffsettingTrendsSurvey2008.pdf or www.climatebiz.com.

About EcoSecurities:
EcoSecurities has spent the last 10 years focusing on the area of climate change mitigation activities and is now one of the leading organisations in the business of sourcing, developing and trading emission reductions. Our emission reduction portfolio is one of the largest in the industry covering a wide range of emission reduction standards (Gold Standard, CDM, VCS etc), technology types and geographical locations. In addition we also provide clients with carbon management services, helping them understand and deal with an increasingly carbon constrained world.

EcoSecurities has unrivalled climate change experience and has been recognised with a number of industry milestones including:

• The first project developer to become a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
• Development of the first CDM project registered under the Kyoto protocol, NovaGerar Landfill Project in Brazil in 2004.
• Structuring of the CDM component of the first project to receive CERs in the world, La Esperanza hydro project in Honduras in 2005.
• Received Point Carbon's award for 'Best CDM/JI Project Developer 2006' and in 2007 was voted 'Best Project Developer - Kyoto Project Credits', and 'Best Advisory Firm - Kyoto Project Credits' for the seventh year in a row in readers surveys conducted by Environmental Finance magazine.
• In 2007 the Group was ranked number 22 in CNBC European Business Magazine's 'Top 100 Low Carbon Pioneers'.
• Recognised by Environmental Data Services as one of the top 30 international carbon offset providers.

EcoSecurities Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM (ticker ECO). Additional information is available at www.EcoSecurities.com.

About ClimateBiz:
ClimateBiz is the business resource for climate management. ClimateBiz informs CFOs, CIOs, supply-chain, operations and other executives on the key business issues in climate and carbon. The website and its free fortnightly newsletter ClimateBiz News offer news, best practices and resources in such areas as carbon measurement, reduction and trading; renewable energy; and carbon offsets.

ClimateBiz (www.climatebiz.com) is a website of Greener World Media, the leading media and information services company focused exclusively on the greening of mainstream business. Greener World Media websites include GreenBiz.com, GreenerBuildings.com, ClimateBiz, GreenerComputing.com, and GreenerDesign.com. Greener World Media also produces the annual State of Green Business report and other research, as well as Greener By Design and other conferences.

Copyright 2008 Business Wire All Rights Reserved.