A Quick Intro to Carbon Offsetting

 

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When you've done all you can manage to address your own carbon footprint, it's pretty easy to fall into a trap of feeling like there's nowhere else to go. Sweep those thoughts aside! Carbon offsetting is fairly new in popularity and sounds like a solution from climate change magicians. This blog posts aims to give you a brief introduction to what it is and how it works. Stay tuned for a more in-depth post later this month!

What is carbon offsetting?

Essentially, carbon offsetting involves paying a company to neutralise your carbon footprint. Rather than/as well as reducing emissions, individuals and business can compensate for their GHG statistics to achieve carbon neutrality. Tree planting is the most common form of offsetting, but alternative methods include investments into renewable energy. People buy ‘credits’ to fund projects that reduce emissions or zero-carbon alternatives to existing methods that are highly pollutive, such as renewable energy. Such projects sell offset credits, the emitters buy the offset credits, then some carbon traders, and thus you have a ‘carbon market’.

How do you use carbon offsetting?

There are many ways you can interact with this scheme:

• If you need to take a flight, consider offsetting your journey.
• Work out your annual carbon footprint and offset it in a single payment once a year.
• Ask for a % of your carbon footprint to be offset for your birthday.
• Consider the aspect of your life you find hardest to reduce your climate impact, and offset your carbon for that sector.
• If you eat meat, consider offsetting the annual average carbon footprint of a meat eater’s diet.

To be able to offset and have money to do so is certainly a position of privilege. Some people have more expendable income than others, some people like carbon offsetting more than others. Remember to do what’s best for you and not to feel pressure to be sustainable in the way that your friends or family members are. We’re all on our own eco journey!

 

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What are the downsides?

We hope to cover this in more detail in a later post, but for now here it is in a nutshell: carbon offsetting is vulnerable to exploitation, and could be ineffective in combatting climate change.

In terms of exploitation, we advise that you do your research and ensure that you're giving your money to a trusted and vetted carbon-offsetting company, with transparent conditions and affiliations. You can refer to The UK Government's Quality Assurance Scheme for Carbon Offsetting for approved sites.

“Carbon offsetting is used by rich societies to carry on polluting but without the guilt.” Friends of the Earth, 2011

What are the Alternatives to Offsetting?

So, if you do your research and decide maybe you’re not sure about carbon offsetting, there are some alternatives. Here a just a couple for you:

• Sandbag: a small London based charity that works with the EU emissions trading system
• Cool Earth: uses donations to protect endangered forests, in some cases buying the land and restoring social, economic and environmental health.
• The Converging World: a charity that operates on donations instead of offsets, supporting the development of renewable energy in India
• 1% For the Planet: pledge 1% of your annual profit (or annual earnings) to legitimate and approved environmental projects coordinated by 1% for the planet

Well, that's a roundup of the basics - this should provide you with a foundation so that you're not starting from nothing if you decide to do your own further research! Stay tuned for a more in-depth analysis, coming soon. If you have any questions about this or recommend any resources, comment below or get in touch with us via Facebook or Instagram!

Author: Holly