The Carbon Offset Guide is an independent directory of participants (offset providers, traders, brokers and exchange platforms) in the Australian carbon offset market managed through a partnership between Low Carbon Australia and the University of Queensland. It is an important resource for businesses, government agencies and individuals seeking information about carbon offsets. EPA Victoria was a founding participant of the Guide and provided funding for it up to June 2012.

Purchasing and retiring offsets can greatly assist in contributing finance to much needed investment in greenhouse gas emission reduction and sequestration projects. Without this finance stream these projects would not otherwise be viable. In addition, some offset projects may also have co-benefits including environmental or social outcomes. The guide was first developed in 2007 and has been updated every 6 months since.

To obtain the greatest value from purchase and retirement of offsets, companies undertaking these activities should consider emissions management as part of a holistic plan to achieve long term permanent reductions. This includes identifying what the emission sources are, the quantity of them and emission reduction activities.

The content of the Carbon Offset Guide is provided for information purposes only and does not represent an endorsement of any carbon offset or provider. Although all care has been taken in compiling the guide, no claim is made to the accuracy or authenticity of the content and it is recommended that interested parties also make their own investigations. This latest version of the Guide was updated on July 2012 and only contains those companies that responded to a survey sent to them by the Guide and consequently is current as of that time. Please see the full disclaimer statement.