Environmental and socio-economic factors in carbon offsets: an approach to sustainable management and planning in climate change strategy.

In 1997 the European Commission presented a communication to clarify the link between environmental strategy and job creation, and the Kyoto Protocol was also negotiated during that year. While it may be considered that implementation of the protocol has contributed to environmental and socio-economic phases in the response to climate change, the method of accounting for carbon offsets is ambiguous and uncertain from the management viewpoint. In addition, from the planning viewpoint there is doubt as to how to realise a low-carbon society without any socio-economic burden. Since it is important to know the real value of carbon offsets when considering the environment for future generations, it is necessary to prepare a management tool to accurately account for carbon offsets. The identification of the effects of climate change will be a key to properly planning global-scale projects, and financial options will depend upon how greenhouse gases are categorised (pollution or a global warming threat). Categorisation should therefore be considered carefully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]