Selling carbon offsets to the Province

The Province invests in high-quality B.C.-based carbon offset projects that reduce or sequester greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The resulting B.C. Offset Units are used to offset the emissions produced by the provincial public sector each year in support of our commitment to carbon neutrality.

Under the Carbon Neutral Government program, the Province manages a portfolio of B.C. Offset Units on behalf of all provincial public sector organizations. The Carbon Neutral Government offset portfolio has offset over 9.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions from the provincial public sector between 2010 and 2023. In addition to reducing emissions, offsetting advances green technologies, supports clean job growth and stimulates the economy.

On this page

• How the Province chooses offsets
• Seeking information from offset vendors
• Offset project development

How the Province chooses offsets

As per the Climate Change Accountability Act and the Carbon Neutral Government Regulation, only B.C. Offset Units may be used to achieve the annual legislated requirement for public sector carbon neutrality.

The Province purchases B.C. Offset Units on behalf of provincial public sector organizations through an open, competitive offset procurement process called the Request for Offset Units (RFOU). The Province is currently reviewing and updating the RFOU. This process is expected to conclude in 2025 and inform a potential successor offset procurement, or other process or initiative.

Vendors interested in selling B.C. Offset Units to government are encouraged to check back on this website for updates regarding the RFOU.

To join a mailing list to receive updates about RFOU, please contact Carbon.Neutral.Investment@gov.bc.ca.

Seeking information from offset vendors

The Province is interested in hearing from offset vendors about B.C. Offset Units that currently exist, and about B.C.-based projects that are emerging, including:

• The characteristics of the projects and their associated B.C. Offset Units
• Factors that influence vendors' offset sales decisions

Current and prospective vendors of B.C. Offset Units are invited to share information and perspectives on the B.C. offset market through a Request for Information (RFI). The purpose of the RFI is to gather information that the Province may use in future procurement or other processes or initiatives. The RFI is open for 90 days from June 10 to September 10, 2024. Please visit RFI - Offset Units for Carbon Neutral Government on BC Bid for more information, including how to submit a response.

Offset project development

The offset procurement review and update in 2025 will not impact work related to the development of offset protocols. Protocol development is a separate process that is part of provincial offset regulatory requirements; it is distinct from the government’s purchasing process for carbon offsets.

Prospective project proponents are encouraged to review provincial offset regulatory requirements as a first step prior to planning projects, considering investment decisions, or seeking potential purchasers.

For questions related to the regulations and offset project development, contact GHGRegulator@gov.bc.ca.