FLEXIBLE BENEFITS
New carbon offset scheme via payroll launched
Vebnet, a supplier of technology and support services for employee benefits, has announced a groundbreaking service which enables employees to help combat climate change directly through their monthly pay.
By partnering with PURE - the Clean Planet Trust, individuals can calculate carbon emissions online and compensate the environment for their own carbon dioxide pollution by “giving as they earn” through their flexible benefits programme provided by their employer.
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By combining PURE’s and Vebnet’s online technology, employees from 170 client 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 employer’s use of Vebnet’s flexible benefit technology.
Centrica first organisation to support programme
Centrica, the energy company and owner of British Gas, is one of the first organisations to support the initiative.
Liz Dixon, one of Centrica’s reward managers, said: “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.”
A final word
“Companies 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.
PURE 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 can’t be used by the world’s big polluters, which increases the speed of emissions reduction.” - Marcus Underhill, head of flexible benefits at Vebnet.
Want to know more?
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.
Vebnet specialises in the development, deployment and support of internet-based technology for flexible benefits and total reward statements. To find out more visit www.vebnet.co.uk
Pure is a UK based registered charity with the specific objective of improving air quality - so combating climate change. It is now the UK's leading carbon offset scheme. To find out more visit www.puretrust.org.uk