About Us
Clear started life back in 2005 almost 20 years ago when climate change first hit the radar. Scientists noticed that the planet was warming up, saw ice shelves melting, and realised greenhouse gases were causing it. Sea levels started to rise, coral reefs started to die, and extreme weather events increased. The whole thing spooked us immensely and we decided something had to be done.
But what, exactly? The world would have to decarbonise. But who would lead? Governments? NGOs and charities? Or maybe the citizens of the world would rise up and demand change? We saw the potential for new carbon markets to start finance flowing into decarbonisation projects, and so we built an expensive website featuring some of the world’s first carbon offsets to empower people to take action. We launched it… And then… Well, actually it all went a bit quiet.
But why? The reasons are complicated and mainly down to human psychology. And although climate change IS fixable, the solutions aren’t convenient. People thought governments would get their fingers out. But 15 years later some countries are even going backwards. Businesses and suppliers have made progress, but nowhere near the rate that’s needed. So it wasn’t until 2019 – when a Swedish teenager decided to bunk school – that we all decided it was finally time to get involved.
Our carbon offsets were the first in the world to be independently certified against the world’s highest standard for carbon offsetting when the QAS started in 2012 and we have continued to meet or exceed it every year since.
Clear wasn’t idle all this time. Our carbon offsets were the first in the world to be independently certified against the world’s highest standard for carbon offsetting when the QAS started in 2012 and we have continued to meet or exceed it every year since. Every carbon offset we sell is accounted for line-by-line by an accountant and their independent auditor. We pride ourselves on our customer service and innovation, consistently going over and above our clients’ expectations. We build detailed calculation models to allow people and businesses to offset activities like staying in hotels, commuting, public transport, maritime freight and even skydiving and balloon flights. They often include important emissions that are ignored by our competitors. In 2024 we are currently building an entirely new concept that moves beyond reduction and offsetting to a new goal-directed solution for climate change that allows people to share according to their ability to do so. More on that soon.
People often want to know more about our organisation before they trust us with their carbon offsets. We are a small private company with low overheads. We are focussed on using technology and innovation to empower individuals and smaller companies to take environmental action easily. We don’t run a big office with bums on seats, and our development is rapid, agile and efficient. We are not a charity because we aren’t asking for donations towards a good cause. We are facing a climate emergency and the most important thing we can all do right now is start funding decarbonisation rapidly, and make sure it’s the real deal and we’re not kidding ourselves with nice photography and fluffy stories. The projects we invest in are starting to move away from the ‘feel good’ ones with nice pictures to the ones which scientists say are the most effective and highly additional.
So expect new products, new ideas, more friendly and helpful customer service, with the same external scrutiny, registry checks, independent audits and quality certification so you know it’s all real.
Many carbon offset companies have come and gone since we started almost 20 years ago in 2005 – but Clear is here to stay. So as we approach 2025 expect new products, new ideas, more friendly and helpful customer service, with the same external scrutiny, registry checks, independent audits and quality certification so you know it’s all real. You probably have lots of questions, and our FAQ section might well help with some of them, but please don’t hesitate to reach out to us anyway. We’re here to help.
One final take home message – the first question you should ask about a carbon offset before you buy is this: “Will this carbon offset really cover the emissions I can’t avoid creating?” Clear is dedicated to living up to that promise.
2021 – We are thrilled to announce that Clear is now a Certified B Corporation!!
2022 – Clear ranked in top 5% worldwide We are beyond happy to share that we’ve been recognized as one of the Best for the World™ B Corps of 2022! To be #BestForTheWorld, B Corps must have scores in the top 5% of one or more of the five impact areas assessed towards the certification. As all #BCorps are already businesses that meet high standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose, this is a recognition that makes us incredibly proud! And we’re just getting started! Check out the full #BFTW2022 lists here.
2023 – After careful research and development, Clear has added both Electric vehicles and Working from home to its carbon offset products.
2024 – Clear has once again passed its full annual independent QAS audit again – for the 13th consecutive year!
Clear has also started its B Corp Recertification journey with a provisional B Impact score of 121.4, up 23.7 from our previous score of 97.7. The threshold for B Corp is 80, and the median score for non-B Corp companies is 50.9.