What is an Offset?
Offset means “neutralize,” “balance,” or “cancel out.” When we do certain activities like drive, fly or heat our homes we emit carbon dioxide. Carbon offsets counteract these activities by funding projects to compensate for emissions occurring at another source.
When you buy a carbon offset, therefore, you are helping to fund a project that reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
After you’ve undertaken direct measures to reduce your carbon footprint such as driving less or installing new windows in your home, carbon offsets are an easy and affordable way to further reduce your contribution to climate change. They are a critical piece of the solution to global warming because they push investments into new technologies and programs that make a difference today.
Offsets can be created by:
- Increasing energy efficiency in buildings, factories, or transportation
- Generating energy from renewables such as solar or biomass
- Modifying a power plant or factory to use fuels that produce fewer greenhouse gases
- Putting wasted energy to work via cogeneration
- Capturing carbon dioxide in forests and agricultural soils
Carbon Offset Benefits
In addition to fighting climate change, carbon offsets provide other environmental and economic benefits. Offset projects can:
- Reduce air and other forms of pollution
- Improve watersheds and water quality
- Preserve biodiversity
- Create jobs
- Save money
- Improve energy security by reducing oil imports
Carbon Offset Criteria
Quality control is an important issue for carbon offsets. In order to be sure the offset is providing a true benefit to the environment, every offset project must be held to the highest quality standards.
High quality offset projects:
- Provide new or additional benefits: A high quality offset project is one that would not have happened without the specific funding provided by the purchase of carbon offsets.
- Are rigorously measured and verified: The benefits of the offset project must be measured and verified by an independent third party over the entire length of the project.
- Have lasting benefits: The effects of the offset project must be long-lasting, not temporary.