Carbon Footprint Goes Corporate

The principle of an environmental footprint is going economics. The footprint is a pictural expression of the impact on the environment of people, enterprises or whole national as the consume and use the environment or nature. Now the concept of footprints makes it into the corporate sector as carbon footprint. Companies pay an offset to a regular price of a product or service to compensate for CO2 release. The offset is, for instance, invested into environmental projects that bind the CO2 equivalent. Braden Phillips reports in the NY Times (18.9.2006) about first attempts of companies, banks or insurance companies, to compensate for CO2-release during flights. Air carriers or rental car companies make their service carbon neutral through travel options on its website.