Home TerraPass: 2008 Certificate of Offset

This certificate describes the actions we take on your behalf when you purchase a TerraPass, including the amount and types of emission reductions. An independent auditor verifies these claims annually and prepares a report that we publish on our website.

Your Home TerraPass commits TerraPass to purchase a specific quantity of carbon offsets and retire them on your behalf. A carbon offset represents a measurable, verified reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. By purchasing and retiring carbon offsets, TerraPass ensures the reductions are permanent. They can never be reused or resold. The quantity of emission reductions associated with your Home TerraPass is listed on the packing slip accompanying this certificate. TerraPass estimates emissions using the information you provide, data from the Energy Information Administration, and the carbon intensity of your NERC region as calculated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Your actual emissions may be different, and depend on factors such as seasonality, energy prices, allocation of energy bills, and other energy sources in your home. This Home TerraPass is intended to balance 100% of the estimated annual CO2 emissions resulting from your home energy use.

Your purchase of a Home TerraPass does not directly reduce CO2 emissions resulting from your home energy use, but rather reduces CO2 emissions elsewhere. This Home TerraPass represents a reduction in only CO2 emissions, not in other pollutants resulting from your home energy use such as particulate matter, mercury, sulfur oxides, or nitrogen oxides.

TerraPass CO2 reduction projects

Type Description Location
Clean energy TerraPass funds renewable energy projects such as wind farms. Renewable energy projects reduce CO2 emissions by displacing conventional electricity in the region where the renewable energy is generated. TerraPass funds primarily North American projects. TerraPass has contributed to renewable energy projects in CA, KY, MN, NC, NE, and OK.
Farm power TerraPass funds agricultural projects in which farmers capture and destroy methane from animal manure. The captured methane is often used to generate renewable electricity. TerraPass funds primarily North American projects. TerraPass has contributed to farm power projects in CA, IN, MN, WA and WI.
Waste gas capture TerraPass funds landfill projects in which operators capture and destroy methane from decomposition. TerraPass may fund similar projects at wastewater treatment plants. TerraPass funds primarily North American projects. TerraPass has contributed to gas capture projects in AR and ME.

TerraPass business practices

  • Independent verification. All TerraPass projects are verified by an independent accredited organization. All verifications include site visits, audits of the project data, project monitoring equipment, and practices relative to the standard used.
  • Standards. Every project is conducted and verified according to one of the following appropriate standards: Voluntary Carbon Standard 2007, Chicago Climate Exchange Offset Protocols, California Climate Action Registry, EPA Climate Leaders, ISO 14064-2, and Gold Standard. TerraPass publishes the standard for each project on our website when we solicit public comments for new purchases, and also in our annual project portfolio.
  • Project requirements. As we consider new projects, we publish the project name and location on our web site and invite public comments. A full project portfolio, including amounts purchased, is published on our web site each year after our independent audit is complete. This Home TerraPass will be fulfilled with verified emission reductions from vintage year 2008; these projects must have started operating no earlier than January 1, 2002.
  • Refund policy. TerraPass stands behind its products with a 100% money-back guarantee. If you are dissatisfied with your TerraPass purchase for any reason, you can return it within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.

If you have any questions, the best way to contact us is email, at info@terrapass.com. Customers may also call us at (415) 692-3411 or toll-free at (877) 210-9581.