CantorCO2e, LLC, a leading global financial services provider to the world's environmental and new-energy markets, has launched the Social Carbon Company. This new venture will provide advice and carbon management services to project developers in the Verified Emission Reduction (VER) market. The Social Carbon Company specializes in applying the Social Carbon methodology, a system of adding value to carbon credits offsets by quantifying a project's contribution to sustainable development.

Laurence Rose, Chairman of CantorCO2e, said, "Our key objective in creating the Social Carbon Company is to help bring to market carbon emission offsets that not only meet independent verification tests, but reach or exceed the highest quality standards. The Social Carbon methodology allows us to execute this strategy and create proprietary products that we think will be unique in the marketplace." In addition, Rose said, "by integrating a sustainability model, we will create additional economic value for project developers thereby enhancing overall value for our clients."

The voluntary carbon market, which is growing rapidly with increasing consumer consciousness of climate change, is open for innovation in quality. In a market where legitimacy is becoming increasingly valued, Social Carbon provides a uniquely transparent way of demonstrating to buyers of VERs that with their purchase they are helping to improve the lives of communities in developing countries. The Social Carbon methodology was developed and is owned by the Ecol'ica Institute, a renowned climate change research centre in the Amazon. The Social Carbon Company implements carbon emission reduction projects in partnership with project developers leveraging its exclusive license to the Social Carbon methodology. Stefano Merlin, CEO of the Social Carbon Company, was a founder of the Ecologica Institute and co-developer of the Social Carbon methodology. Commenting on the launch, he said: "We are currently involved in more than 60 projects in Brazil and are rapidly expanding our client base in Latin America. We are excited by the possibilities of our partnership with CantorCO2e and have ambitions to bring the benefits of Social Carbon to projects all around the world."

Steve Drummond, Co-CEO of CantorCO2e said, "We believe that Social Carbon is the next step in the evolution of standards in the voluntary carbon market, and has the potential to shape the future of compliance markets. Having contributed to the development of the principal standards in the voluntary market, I believe the Social Carbon methodology now brings a new dimension of true and ongoing sustainability to carbon projects. I am excited to be able to implement this new vision through CantorCO2e's global network." Meanwhile APX, an infrastructure provider for environmental and energy markets, announced the first Gold Standard exchange-traded carbon offset transaction was completed on Climex, a leading carbon spot and auction exchange. In the transaction, Rabobank purchased Gold Standard Verified Emissions Reductions (VERs) from Tricorona.

APX serves as the registry provider and administrator of The Gold Standard VER Registry. The APX platform allows participants to originate, track, manage and retire carbon commodities. Climex, an environmental commodities and energy contracting exchange, recently launched a continuous electronic trading platform for VERs, which is now linked to the Gold Standard Registry. The APX registry system makes it possible to transfer VERs in a quick, transparent and reliable way from one owner to the next in a transaction.