What is it? Is it legit? Should you do it?
What is carbon offsetting?
Carbon offsetting is a reduction of greenhouse gases emissions in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere (1, 2). This normally involves investing in projects that reduce or store carbon and can be done by both individuals and businesses. These projects often focus on tree planting, but can also include renewable energy, better farming methods and carbon capture and storage technologies.
As explained by Fiona Harvey in The Guardian, CO2 has the same impact on the climate no matter where it is emitted and what the source is; so if 1 tonne can be absorbed from the atmosphere in one part of the world it should cancel out 1 tonne in another. Trees absorb CO2 from the air as they grow and store it, making forests one of the biggest carbon sinks. Many see tree planting as a silver bullet solution to the climate crisis and while it is an essential part, it has some disadvantages. Trees take a long time to grow and it takes years before they have reached their full carbon sink potential. Furthermore, trees planted must be a variety of native species in order to avoid monocultures (one type of species) and ensure biodiversity. It is also important to note that planting new trees can’t make up for ongoing deforestation. We must stop deforestation as well as planting new trees.
On the surface, it may seem that carbon offsetting is a good thing - after all it reduces emissions right? However, environmental organisations Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and WWF UK came together in 2006 and agreed that carbon offsetting wasn’t good enough. They presented the argument that offsetting is a distraction and an easy way for governments and businesses to continue to pollute in a guilt free way, without making changes to their behaviour. Personally, I see the benefits of offsetting on an individual scale especially if you have done everything else possible to reduce your footprint, or you simply want to donate to climate projects. In terms of businesses and governments, I agree with the NGOs as carbon offsetting tends to be used to greenwash dirty business and promotes the mindset that as long as there is carbon neutrality, pollution can continue. After all, the idea of a carbon footprint was invented by BP to shift responsibility from them, onto the consumer. Businesses and governments have the power to enact the systemic change that we so desperately need. They should be focusing on reducing emissions and consuming less energy in the first place. This is especially important for fossil fuel companies and the governments that support them. There's no point in planting trees if new oil and gas fields are being licenced. Exhibit A: #StopCambo
So if you do want to offset your personal footprint, is there a good way to go about it?
There’s a few different options out there. One platform I’ve come across a few times is Ecologi, a subscription package to offset your emissions. Disclaimer: this is in no way sponsored, I purely want to investigate Ecologi and use it as an example. On their website, they say ‘there are enough climate solutions that are out there right now, that if we supported them, it’d undo 30 years of carbon damage by avoiding 1,500 billion tonnes of CO2.’ Certainly seems like a convincing argument. The idea is that you donate a fixed amount every month, and this money is spent on climate projects. These projects are all certified by Gold Standard or an equivalent and range from tree planting to clean energy to waste reduction. There are 3 personal plans to choose from, the smallest of which costs £4.70 per month. This plants 12 trees and offsets enough emissions to cover the average British citizen (10.6 tonnes of CO2). There are also family plans available. Ecologi’s main tree planting partner is ‘Eden Reforestation Projects’ in Madagascar, which also happens to be one of renewable search engine Ecosia’s partners. There is an impact report on every project page. Furthermore, in terms of transparency, they post financial reports, purchase receipts and carbon offsetting certificates. 85% of profits are spent on projects, the remaining 15% goes towards running costs.
If you do want to offset your individual emissions through a subscription package, Ecologi seems like a pretty legit way to do so. You can read more about their projects here, which includes UK project Reforesting Dalry.
NB: if you choose to offset emissions from a flight as a one off, I’d recommend finding a reputable organisation you can donate to rather than using the airline’s recommended link/system which may not be trustworthy. Airlines are notorious for greenwashing.
In conclusion, carbon offsetting can be a useful step, especially on an individual scale but we need to do more, offsetting can’t be used alone - especially for big businesses and governments. Individual change without systemic change will not stop climate catastrophe. As demonstrated, there are some seemingly trustworthy offsetting companies out there. It is ultimately a personal choice. The climate crisis will not be determined by individuals in wealthy countries offsetting their personal emissions. Fossil fuels need to stay in the ground and that requires government intervention; while considering carbon offsetting I’d urge you not to lose sight of the bigger picture.
To find out more:
Calculate your carbon footprint: https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/questionnaire
The 'Carbon offsetting' Wikipedia page is quite detailed and an accessible starting point
On ‘carbon neutral’ fossil fuels: https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/clean-crude-oil-firms-use-offsets-claim-green-barrels-2021-04-16/
A Guardian journalist investigates how best to offset his necessary flight to Malawi: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/aug/02/offsetting-carbon-emissions-how-to-travel-options
On airline offsetting:
How effective are trees at absorbing carbon? https://www.carbonpirates.com/blog/how-much-carbon-do-trees-absorb/
Greenpeace on offsetting:
FOE on offsetting: