Carbomark is a pilot initiative setting up voluntary carbon markets whose peculiarities are a local scale implementation, which means real geographical proximity between sellers and buyers of carbon shares. Presently, ruled market systems operate worldwide and promote emission offsetting mechanisms producing global effects. However, they do not stimulate closeness between greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters and offsetting initiatives. For this reason, operating locally facilitates the achievement of environmental benefits in the same areas where GHG are emitted.

Carbomark works in two Italian regions (Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia) and the environmental benefits it produces will remain in the same regions, since the offsetting initiatives this market finances are all located there. The physical proximity of all subjects of the market contributes significantly to give the mechanism for trading carbon shares more visibility and reliability as well as it arouses both market operators’ and citizens’ appreciation.

Carbomark favours the following:

–          GHG mitigation, by encouraging carbon sinking at the local scale;

–          Income generation in less favoured areas, by estimating the value of the carbon sinking service that forest ecosystems provide;

–          The adoption of offsetting strategies in local administrations;

–          The implementation of measures to reduce and mitigate emitters’ environmental impact.

Starter contributed to design the project and carried out several activities on behalf of the Lead partner and Friuli Venezia Giulia Region included the realization of studies and analysis, the production of informative documents and materials, the assistance for the coordination of the partnership and the management of technical and administrative matters.