How Carbon Offsets Help Reduce the Carbon Footprint

A carbon offset is an emission reduction credit which can be purchased by individuals, businesses and governments to reduce their net GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions. Offsets are purchased from another organisation’s project that results in less carbon dioxide or other GHG in the atmosphere than would otherwise occur. Offsets are so named because they counteract or ‘offset’ a purchaser’s GHG emission. Effectively offsetting the emissions of an activity makes that activity ‘carbon neutral’. Carbon offsets are becoming an increasingly popular way for individuals and businesses to participate in solutions to global warming. The basic idea of a carbon offset is […]

The pros and cons of carbon credits

A carbon credit is a permit that allows the holder to emit one ton of carbon dioxide. Credits are awarded to countries or groups that have reduced their green house gases (GHG) below their emission quota. Carbon credits can be traded in the international market at their current market price. The carbon credit system was ratified in conjunction with the Kyoto Protocol (adopted in Kyoto, Japan in 1997 and entered in force in 2005). Its goal was to stop the increase of CO2 emissions. For example, if an environmentalist group plants enough trees to reduce emissions by one ton, the group will be awarded a credit. […]