The Metta Fund
When the residual environmental footprint has been determined, the options for compensation are identied. Possibly only a small effort needs to be made to compensate the residual impact, but for larger impacts companies or organisations may have a more structural need. Therefore, several options are offered:
- A company or organisation has its own Metta project/s. This enables a company to undertake an activity with which it feels a particular connection; or,
- Compensate through external, by Metta recognised compensation schemes, e.g. for the acquisition of carbon credits
- The compensation is realised through the Metta Fund. The Metta Fund realises the compensation in projects it supports, based on a fee that is based on the required compensation.
The joint pool of activities and initiatives supported by the Metta Fund have to collectively deliver the compensation required by the companies or organisations that have been granted the status of impact neutral. This will be reported transparently and the implementation and results of the compensation activities will monitored to guarantee and demonstrate that indeed the footprints are compensated.
The Foundation Metta Standard and Index identifies options to compensate the residual footprints of the participating companies, sometimes on the basis of the compensation recommendations emerging from the Metta audits, but may identify projects itself as well. To the extent possible companies can choose themselves which project they want to support as long as it matches the required compensation effort.
Projects or initiatives that are seeking financial support and that believe they can make a contribution to offset environmental impacts are welcome to apply for support from the Metta Fund.
