Carbon offsetting

Carbon offsetting compensates for unavoidable emissions by paying someone to make an equivalent carbon dioxide saving elsewhere in the world. More and more people are volunteering to offset their emissions.

Take action

Offsetting is not a “cure” for climate change; the most effective way to combat climate change is to reduce emissions. However, if done in the right way, offsetting can reduce the impact of our actions and help raise awareness of the issue.

To be able to offset, an individual or organisation must have already calculated their emissions to know much many tonnes of CO₂ they wish to offset. Once the number of tonnes to be offset is known, carbon credits can be bought from emissions reduction providers for the equivalent amount.

Everyone is urged to take action on their carbon footprint:

• calculate – the first step is always to calculate your emissions. A number of calculators exist which use the latest conversion factors and provide advice on how to reduce your emissions.
• avoid – Once you know what your carbon footprint is you can begin to take comprehensive action on CO₂. Many emissions can be avoided in the first place such as by not travelling or turning off equipment when it is not in use.
• reduce – Once all reasonable actions have been taken to avoid emissions, you should take action to reduce your remaining emissions through efficiency measures.
• Calculate your personal or domestic emissions - Directgov website
• Carbon footprint calculator for business and organisations - Carbon trust website

Choosing a provider

It is recommended that you look for offset providers that meet the following criteria to help you choose good quality offsets:

• calculate your emissions accurately
• deliver carbon credits within a year of you buying them
• declare clearly how much the credits cost per tonne
• provide you with information about the role of offsetting in tackling climate change and advice on how to reduce your carbon footprint

Carbon offsetting projects approved by the United Nations often substitute fossil fuel power with clean energy sources in developing countries, encouraging investment in new, cleaner technologies.

Here are some examples of the kind of projects that could produce carbon credits used for offsetting:

• providing people in Aceh, Indonesia with solar cookers and heat retention containers for cooking, heating, sterilising water and preserving food
• introducing energy efficiency measures at a resort hotel in India
• harnessing river hydropowerin Fiji
• establishing the first wind energy plant in Cyprus
• collecting methane to generate electricity from landfill sites in Durban, South Africa
• generating electricity from the residue produced by a sugar mill in Ecuador