What you might not know about carbon offsetting

When I’m reading about what various companies are doing to reduce their footprint, carbon offsetting comes up quite a bit. Though I’m loosely familiar with the concept, I realized there is a lot about carbon offsetting that I’m not sure about, and likely a lot of people are in the same boat.

Let’s start with the basics. Carbon offsetting is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases that is typically used to offset an emission made somewhere else. Offsets come from different providers who are rewarded with the opportunity to sell carbon credits in exchange for making investments in projects that result in carbon reductions such as clean energy or planting trees. Governments, businesses and individuals can buy these carbon offsets as a form of mitigating their own negative environmental impacts.

One of the top carbon credit providers in the US is Sustainable Travel International (sustainabletravel.org). Its their mission to promote responsible travel and tourism that contributes to the economic and social wellbeing of destination. This organization has a handy tool for individuals to calculate their carbon use online and to purchase offsets equivalent to say a trip you are taking. Some airlines offer their customers the opportunity to purchase offsets when booking flights, in addition many green tour and accommodations providers are already offsetting so this is a good thing to look for when you’re choosing providers for your travel plans.  

This all sounds well and good, and overall I think it is a great practice that incentivizes worthy projects that reduce greenhouse gasses, but as with everything there are some other important considerations. Not all offsets are equal. Quality of offsets might vary as well as price so a little research may be required to find the best offset option. Another thing to consider is that an offset is not the same thing as being green, in fact it’s a way to pay a price and support a green project in lieu of being green oneself. Some critics have likened this practice to an indulgence or pardon for bad behavior. So, when possible it best to directly support the business that has made reductions to its own footprint rather than a business that is offsetting. Or if you are considering offsetting yourself, consider how you might reduce your impact first.

Was this information on offsetting helpful? Have you ever purchased an offset? Tell me about it.