UK-based GoCarbonFree Ltd has launched the world’s first shopping portal that gives customers free personal carbon credits whilst they shop.

Users of the new shopping portal, www.gocarbonfree.com, can now compensate for the carbon emissions produced by their purchases with a carbon saving. For example, spending £50 at Tesco through the site will earn 100 personal carbon credits.

GoCarbonFree users can offset their home, car, air travel, events and consumer purchases by shopping on the portal. The UN produces a finite number of carbon credits, and shoppers on the portal are therefore reducing UK manufacturers’ ability to pollute whilst shopping.

There is a fixed allowance of carbon emission for each country, according to phase two of the Kyoto agreement. The European union has signed up to this and is selling these allowances as carbon credits.

A total of 50 per cent of GoCarbonFree’s profits will be directed straight into environmental causes. In addition all GoCarbonFree shareholders have agreed not to take any dividends, but to reinvest them in renewable technologies and progressive environmental programmes.

Hubertus Thylmann, managing director of GoCarbonFree, said: “Environmental issues, if we are not careful, will evolve from a threat to becoming an overwhelming force that will transform all aspects of our lives. The old model of business will have to change and rather than having this thrust upon us, GoCarbonFree is aiming to take the lead. We hope our shopping portal and sponsored email newsletters will play a part in helping the UK achieve a 60 per cent cut in emissions by 2050.”