It Might Be Time to Start Carbon Offsetting

Carbon offsetting refers to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, or an increase in carbon storage, used to compensate for emissions that occur in another part of the world. It is an internationally recognized way to mitigate the harmful effects of carbon emissions.

Offset can be measured using a “currency” known as carbon credits. These credits are certified by governments or independent bodies and each represents an emission reduction of one metric ton of CO2.

A carbon credit can be purchased by investing in a carbon emission reduction or storage project. Theoretically, this allows an individual or corporation to finance the removal of carbon from the atmosphere equal in mass to the carbon they are responsible for emitting.

The practice of carbon offsetting has become popularized to the point that the United Nations has created a carbon offset platform as part of their “Climate Neutral Now” project. Through this platform, one can invest in United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)-certified projects that “reduce, avoid or remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere.”

While some consumers use carbon offset to reduce the harmful impact of taking a flight, others offset the yearly carbon footprint of their household or transportation. Overall, this mitigating practice offers citizens the opportunity to combat the harmful effects of certain necessary or desired activities that make up 21st-century life.

Carbon offsetting is also an incredibly pertinent topic to students on our campus, as so many of us come from abroad. Having just returned from the holiday season, I struggle to name one person who didn’t board a plane at some point this winter break. Travel is an inherent part of studying for a huge portion of our campus. Thus we must begin a dialogue around how we will take responsibility for the carbon cost of studying far from home. Such a conversation begins with carbon offsetting.

How you can offset

The first step to offsetting is to calculate your emissions via an emissions calculator. Next, one chooses an offset project in which to invest. Many organizations offer a platform through which carbon calculations and investment can be performed. Some of the most recognized carbon offset providers include Atmosfair, myclimate, and TerraPass. If you feel uncertain about donating money on a platform you have never heard of, the United Nations Carbon Offset platform is a great option, though it is more suited to offsetting one's comprehensive, yearly carbon footprint. Not only is it simple to use, it has also seen two million Certified Emission Reduction credits since its launch in 2015. If you wish to use the UN’s platform to offset a flight, an alternative carbon calculator can be used to determine how many tons of carbon you need to offset, and then the appropriate number of tons can be offset using the UN platform.

If you’re still worried about the impact carbon offset might have on your wallet, fear not — The average offset price is between three and six USD per ton of carbon emitted, according to Second Nature. Different projects have different associated costs, thus carbon credits vary in price. For example, to offset one ton of carbon through the Gangwon Wind Park project, it costs five USD, while it costs 3.50 USD to offset the same amount of carbon via the MW Rice Husk Biomass energy plant. These are both examples of projects on the UN carbon Offset platform, where offset prices range from about three to 15 USD per carbon credit.

Still seems like it might be a pricy endeavor? A round trip from Nice to Toronto, stopping in Dublin, has a personal carbon impact of 2.3 tons. This means such a trip could be offset for as low as around eight USD, depending on the project one invests in.

Critiques of offsetting

Despite the benefits of offsetting, there are certainly limitations to this practice. Some critics argue that carbon offset legitimizes environmentally detrimental practices, especially for large corporations.

Additionally, it is quite difficult to track the true impact of a carbon offset project. Though the industry is becoming increasingly transparent, it is always difficult to ascertain how well one's money is being used when making a donation.

Finally, there isn’t a single global carbon offset standard. It is difficult to understand how different organizations calculate the cost of carbon credits associated with different projects, and different carbon calculators will often produce different results.

Is it worth it?

Ultimately, offsetting should be paired with a strategy to reduce one’s carbon footprint if it is to have a meaningful impact. If offsetting is used to justify incredibly harmful environmental practices, it risks creating less consumer awareness and responsibility. You shouldn’t see carbon offset as a ticket to do whatever you want and not feel bad; offsetting does not make weekly flights harmless. But the reality is that some people and businesses can’t avoid having a large carbon footprint; in fact, this is the reality for many of us.

If paired with a conscious intent to minimize one's carbon footprint whenever possible, carbon offset provides consumers with a tool to combat environmental destruction. And, critiques of carbon offsetting aside, it quite simply encourages more people to invest in environmental development projects. Unarguably, more funds going to such projects has a positive impact.