Carbon offsetting popular with individuals and businesses

Small businesses and consumers are displaying an increasing level of interest in carbon offsetting schemes, the founder of Carbon Footprint has suggested.

John Buckley of the family-run advice group claimed that carbon offsetting is particularly appealing to those who are planning long-haul flights.

"People sometimes do feel a little bit guilty when they're flying abroad, so they will be more [compelled] to offset their flights more than other aspects of their everyday lives," Mr Buckley stated.

He added that there has also been an increasing amount of interest from businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

Mr Buckley concluded there are a number of popular ways people can choose to offset their carbon emissions and named tree planting as one solution.

However, Defra has claimed that although carbon offsetting is one way people can compensate for the carbon emissions they produce, it is important for people to note that it does not reduce the number of emissions contributing to climate change.

The department added that it is important to increase public awareness about the impact of carbon emissions in order to create a viable solution to climate change.