Carbon Offsetting, what is it?

What is Carbon Offsetting?

Carbon offsetting is a method by which individuals, companies, or governments compensate for their carbon emissions by investing in environmental projects that reduce or remove an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) or other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Essentially, it's a way to balance out the carbon footprint generated by activities like driving a car, flying, or running a factory.

The primary goal of carbon offsetting is to achieve carbon neutrality, where the total emissions produced are balanced by an equal amount of carbon reduction or removal. While reducing emissions at the source remains crucial, carbon offsetting provides an additional strategy to mitigate the environmental impact of unavoidable emissions.

How Does Carbon Offsetting Work? Carbon offsetting typically involves the following steps:

1. Calculate Emissions: The first step is to measure the amount of carbon dioxide or equivalent greenhouse gases produced by a particular activity or process. This calculation is often expressed in metric tons of CO2-equivalent (CO2e).

2. Purchase Offsets: Once the emissions are calculated, the next step is to purchase carbon offsets. These offsets represent a reduction or removal of one metric ton of CO2e. Offset projects can include activities like reforestation, renewable energy development, methane capture, or energy efficiency improvements.

3. Invest in Projects: The money from purchasing carbon offsets is then invested in environmental projects that either absorb CO2 from the atmosphere or prevent future emissions.

Examples of such projects include:

• • Reforestation and Afforestation: Planting trees or restoring forests to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.

  • Renewable Energy Projects: Developing wind, solar, or hydroelectric power to replace fossil fuel-based energy sources.

  • Methane Capture: Capturing methane emissions from landfills or agricultural activities to prevent them from entering the atmosphere.

4. Monitor and Verify: Reputable carbon offset programs are carefully monitored and verified by third-party organizations to ensure that the promised emissions reductions are real, measurable, and permanent.

The need for companies and organisations to become more environmentally friendly is growing astronomically, with 72% of millennials investigate a potential employer’s environmental impact as part of their job application process.

We now offer a service where you can offset your hires carbon emissions with Greenify, this contributes to:

• Heating and lighting your office

• 2,000 miles of driving every month

• 2,000 miles of rail travel every month

• Home energy use for 15 days/month for 20 x two-bed residences

The need for companies and organisations to become more environmentally friendly is growing astronomically, with 72% of millennials investigate a potential employer’s environmental impact as part of their job application process.