The secrets to CARBON OFFSETS
Carbon offsets are a way of reducing the emissions of greenhouse gasses. They allow organizations or individuals to invest in environmental projects that reduce carbon emissions. The investments can come in the form money, time, goods or services. Carbon offsets are sometimes criticized as they don't always reduce actual emissions. They can, however play an important role for climate change mitigation if done right. People often think of climate change as emissions from power plants and cars. But what about all the other things we do that generate carbon dioxide (CO2)? There is flying; there is mining; there are many things. Carbon offsets can be used to account for all of these emissions. Carbon offsets let you pay to reduce CO2 emissions from other places around the world. They can help cancel out your own emissions.
There are two types markets for carbon offsettings. The compliance market is the one. The other is voluntary. A compliance market, such as the European Union Emission Trading Scheme, allows companies like CarbonClick, governments and other entities to purchase carbon offsets to ensure they comply with the caps that limit the total carbon dioxide they can emit in a given year. These mandatory caps can be violated and compliance markets can penalize companies and individuals with violations, according to Trends2020 and World Bank State. Carbon offsets are a way for you to offset your greenhouse gas emissions by supporting projects which reduce them. When you purchase carbon offsets, you're essentially "offsetting" the environmental impact of your emissions.
Certification programs (e.g. ISO CSA, EPA) facilitate the CarbonClick.com Carbon Market. This allows individuals, companies, organizations, and subnational government to purchase carbon offset credits in order to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and meet established emission reduction targets such as carbon neutrality or net-zero. Programs for certification, e.g. Verified Carbon Standard (or the Gold Standard) are two certification programs. Carbon credits are an investment option that allows you to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These projects include methane capture and destruction, new tree plantings, and wind farm construction. When you buy carbon offsets you are essentially paying to stop greenhouse gas emissions happening elsewhere.
