Initiative: Climate Change and Youth Travel

Primer on Carbon Offsetting

The practice of offsetting carbon emissions is now a generally accepted solution to help travellers take responsibility for their carbon footprint.

To offset the carbon emissions of their flight, individuals can use a carbon calculator to establish their carbon footprint—the amount of CO2 their flight will emit—and purchase offsets in an amount directly proportional to their emissions on that flight.

The carbon offset market has seen enormous growth in the past few years. $110 million USD was spent on voluntary carbon offsets in 2006—a 1,733 percent increase from the $6 million USD spent in 2004.

While voluntary carbon offsetting is not regarded by environmentalists as a standalone solution to mitigating climate change, it is largely accepted as playing an important role in educating the public about the cost of carbon emissions, and offsetting the portion of one’s carbon footprint that one cannot reduce.

Overview of Project Types

Before investing in a carbon offset programme, individuals should consider which type of projects they would like to support. Funds collected in carbon offset programmes are generally used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the types of projects listed below.

Renewable Energy

Wind, hydro, and solar energies reduce emissions and dependence on energy produced through fossil fuels. Widely regarded as highly important for the future.

Energy Efficiency

Replacing technologies with products that use less energy to do the same task is also regarded as crucial for a low-carbon future.

Methane Capture

As methane is 21 times more powerful than CO2 as a greenhouse gas, methane capture projects can be highly effective in GHG reduction.

Forestry

In most cases, trees absorb CO2 and release oxygen. However, there is a high degree of variability in carbon sequestration projects, based on measurement and permanence. Forestry projects are therefore not widely recommended as a carbon offset method.

Source: The CarbonNeutral Company

Guidelines

Currently, many of the most reputable carbon offset companies charge more, usually because their projects adhere to stringent verification and standards like the Gold Standard or the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Until industry-wide standards and verification processes are accepted, it is best to purchase offsets from organisations that operate projects under the Gold Standard—largely regarded as the most rigorous standard available today.

Organisations should tell their customers to purchase carbon offsets from highly reputable companies that offer many details about their projects. This process helps ensure customers know what they are funding, and gives them the reassurance that their investments count.

The Tufts Climate Initiative recommends considering the following before investing in offset programmes:

Determine how much of your investment goes directly to the projects, and how much goes into overhead. Non-profit companies usually spend less on overhead, and more on the project itself. Choose an organisation that details its projects thoroughly on its website. Know where your investment is going. Check the third-party verification process used by the organisation. This ensures the project is meeting goals and operating properly, even after the project has ended. Avoid forestry projects. Choose projects that will only happen with your investment. Choose projects that have a local community benefit beyond carbon reduction (i.e., introducing technology and creating jobs through a solar energy project in Eritrea). If you have to make a choice, choose to offset less with high-quality projects, rather than offsetting more with low-quality projects. While the high-quality projects may be more expensive, you have the assurance that your investment is going to good use. The Gold Standard provides the strictest guidelines to date, and is highly recommended and trusted.