Carbon Offsets are a way to mitigate your impact on the environment of things that cannot be avoided or reduced in your day-to-day living. These things include your utilities, commuting, travel or other ‘essential’ activities. This is considered your carbon footprint. Contributing to an organization providing offsets is a way to fund renewable energy projects, reforestation, and other programs that help reduce carbon and other greenhouse gases from being released into the environment. When considering a carbon offset provider, it is important to evaluate the following:
Is the offset provider reputable?
Because of the newness of carbon offsetting, it is important to be wary of what you are being offered as a carbon offset and determine if the provider is reputable. Currently, there is a great degree of variability in what you are offered and how much it will cost. Providers that utilize and reference the Department of Energy, the EPA, European Union agencies or a number of scientific studies, are backing up their numbers with references. Sites that generate numbers with no references should be avoided.
Offsetting opportunities must be real, additional, permanent, singular and verifiable:
- Real in that they can generate measurable carbon offsets.
- Additional in that the project would not happen if it was not for the carbon offsets.
- Retired so that they are permanent in their reduction of greenhouse gases.
- Singular in that multiple providers are not selling the same credits for the same project.
- Verifiable and certified by independent outside agencies such as Green-e, Voluntary Carbon Standard, and The Gold Standard. (If a project is not certified against any reputable standard it cannot be verified as meeting any real and acceptable carbon offsetting requirements.)
Providers must also be able to provide project details:
Offset providers fund projects in a number of areas including reforestation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Providers should list or be able to provide project details at your request.
There are many for-profit and non-profit carbon offset providers. Consider and compare organizations before contributing to them. Look at them in depth, and assure yourself that you can make an educated decision based on the considerations discussed above.
