Vebnet launches first-ever payroll giving carbon offset scheme

- Vebnet teams up with PURE ñ the Clean Planet Trust (Registered charity No. 1112249) ñ to create a new initiative which allows individuals to calculate carbon emissions online and offset through their payroll

- Centrica first UK organisation to support payroll-giving carbon offsetting programme to PURE

- 250,000 employees from 170* UK organisations can now simply support United Nationís approved (Kyoto Protocol) projects

At todayís prices, 5 per month from every employee would eliminate over 1 million tonnes of emissions in one year

Vebnet, the leading supplier of technology and support services for employee benefits, today announces a ground-breaking service which enables 250,000 UK employees to help combat climate change directly through their monthly pay. By partnering with PURE ñ the Clean Planet Trust, individuals can calculate carbon emissions online and compensate the environment for their own carbon dioxide pollution by ëgiving as they earní through their flexible benefits programme provided by their employer.

By combining PUREís and Vebnetís online technology, employees from 170 UK companies* can use the initiative to take responsibility for their household and travel emissions. Employees can calculate their carbon footprint with a link to PURE technology, and then choose to offset all or part of it in monthly payments from their pay, in a tax efficient way, through their employerís use of Vebnetís flexible benefit technology.

Centrica, the leading energy company and owner of British Gas is one of the first organisations to support Vebnetís initiative, partnering with PURE ñ the Clean Planet Trust. Liz Dixon, one of Centricaís Reward Managers, comments, ìCentricaís customers, employees and wider stakeholders expect us to demonstrate leadership on environmental issues. As we are moving to Vebnet for our flexible benefits scheme for 10,000 employees, we can now add PURE as a socially responsible give-as-you-earn benefit. Employees can work out their personal carbon footprint and they can use their flexible benefits allowance to offset it. Many of our employees are very passionate about environmental issues and this is a very simple process which means they can take action to tackle climate change.

ìBased on the electricity we supply to UK households, Centrica already has the lowest carbon emissions of all the major energy suppliers. Whatís more, our employees are already actively involved in reducing their own carbon footprint through our Natural Capital initiative which encourages them to think about the amount of paper they use, how they travel to work and how they can save energy whenever possible. Carbon offsetting through flexible benefits just makes sense. It provides an extension to Natural Capital, empowering employees to show even more environmental responsibility.î

Marcus Underhill, head of flexible benefits at Vebnet, explains, ìCompanies are under increasing pressure to make interventions when it comes to staff environmental activity. Now, they can take the lead with this easy process that supports their own corporate responsibility initiatives and help ensure benefits are linked to a social conscience. Also, this can be used as a salary-sacrifice scheme so organisations can gain maximum tax attractiveness on green contributions.

ìPURE is unique because it is the first UK charity dedicated to combating climate change by carbon offsetting. It uses donations to buy Kyoto carbon credits and ensures each selected project has genuinely reduced carbon emissions. Then PURE cancels the credits so they canít be used by the worldís big polluters, which increases the speed of emissions reduction.î

Vebnet is promoting this programme to each of its 170 customers, as well as providing full information to all employees so that they can make informed choices. www.vebnet.com and www.puretrust.org.uk.