There are very few aspects of business or personal life that can’t be subject to reducing or offsetting their carbon emissions. Even home loans.

The *Carbon Reduction Institute has found that carbon emissions from the processes of supplying an online home loan amount to 94kg of CO2 or the equivalent of driving 330 km in a standard two-litre sedan.

With the increase in consumer interest in environmental issues, many loan suppliers in the mortgage industry are already offering carbon neutral home loans. Many others are working towards offering similar products in the near future.

Businesses that have been certified carbon neutral have accounted for their total operational emissions, as well as the emissions embodied in the products they sell and use. Their business processes have been audited to calculate the full extent of their carbon impact.

MyRate.com.au was the first to announce a carbon neutral home loan and the website has been certified “No CO2” by the Carbon Reduction Institute, a body which provides certification for businesses that would like to be carbon neutral or are already. Emissions from MyRate were calculated from energy usage, waste, employee transport, as well as the emissions embodied in the computers and phones used. To offset their emissions, MyRate said it had streamlined its business practices and then bought carbon credits in solar energy projects to offset what it couldn’t eliminate.

Another loan provider, HSBC Bank, achieved its goal of going carbon neutral in 2006 under its carbon management plan whereby it offsets emissions by investing in four carbon offset suppliers in NZ, Australia, India and Germany.

NAB is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2010 and Insurance Group Australia said its operations would be carbon neutral within five years.