FAQ - aurimasmb/carbonoffsets GitHub Wiki

1. Are carbon offsets a scam?

Some are. The carbon offsets market has suffered from issues of transparency and lack of additionality. That's why we took the time to do this research - we wanted to see whether carbon offsetting could be an effective way to combat climate change, and find out how best to navigate the carbon offsets market as an individual looking to offset one's personal emissions. Our conclusions: the standards bodies which accredit and verify carbon offset projects and the offsets they sell enforce fairly high standards. The weak link is carbon offset retailers. We spent a long time vetting these, to find one which we believe is transparent and sells high quality offsets. Good offset retailers invest significant time and effort in selecting high quality projects. Take advantage of the work they have done. Check out the Offsetting page.

2. Shouldn't we be trying to reduce our emissions rather than just offset them?

Of course! Do all you can. We think carbon offsets are most appropriate for emissions that are much harder to avoid, like flying (Especially if you live far away from family and friends...). We think offsets can also be effective as a temporary measure to reduce your impact, until we develop the technology to reduce the emissions associated with our lifestyles to within sustainable levels.

3. What does it actually mean to "offset" your carbon?

When you purchase a carbon offset unit from a carbon offsetting project or carbon offset retailer, you are essentially paying that project some money to cover the costs of implementing a technology or method which has either:

  1. Avoided some CO2 emissions, or
  2. Sequestered some CO2 from the atmosphere.

For example - replacing an inefficient cook-stove with a more efficient stove avoids emissions over the time period during which it is used. A project which plants trees in a grassland results in that area of land containing more atmospheric carbon than it did before, by sequestering it into trees.

4. How do we know if the carbon offsets we buy actually result in Carbon Dioxide reductions in the atmosphere?

The strongest guarantee for the quality of offsets are the three major carbon offsets standards bodied: VCS, Gold Standard, and CDM. These bodies make sure that carbon offset projects produce real, permanent, and additional carbon emissions reductions or carbon sequestration. You should only purchase offsets from projects accredited by these standards bodies. You should also be careful in choosing a carbon offset retailer - see the Offset page for details.

5. What does "retiring" / "cancelling" a carbon offset unit mean?

To ensure that the project is only paid once for each unit of carbon emissions it avoids or sequesters, carbon offset units are tracked using central registries. Units which have been "retired" or "cancelled" cannot be sold again, meaning that they cannot be "double counted". This is why all carbon offset units have serial numbers, and why you should demand that your carbon offset retailer provide the serial numbers of the carbon offset units you are purchasing.

6. When do my carbon offsets actually take effect?

All offsets registered with VCS, Gold Standard, and CDM represent avoidance or sequestration of emissions which have already occurred. These units are typically registered on an annual basis. The year of issuance is typically called the offset "vintage." Individuals looking to offset personal carbon should beware of retailers which "forward sell" offsets - i.e. sell offsets which have not yet occurred, for example: the Kolvidur tree planting program. These can carry significant risk that offsets may never occur. Furthermore, some, like Kolvidur, sell offsets which accrue over very long time periods - 90 years in the case of Kolvidur! If you want immediate carbon offsets, make sure to purchase VCS, Gold Standard or CDM-verified offsets.

7. What about agreements requiring airlines to automatically offset their emissions, like CORSIA?

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) agreed upon CORSIA (the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) in 2016. The scheme is an agreement by member states to aim for no growth in international aviation's carbon emissions beginning in 2020. While the agreement is an excellent start to addressing aviation's pressing emissions problem, it by no means goes far enough to remove the value of us offsetting our own emissions. Participation is voluntary until 2026 (although as of June 2017, 71 countries have agreed to participate from 2020 forward); and even after 2026, several countries are exempt. The requirement to offset will only apply to emissions above and beyond 2020 levels, meaning international aviation will still hold a large share of humanity's carbon emissions. Purchasing offsets for our own emissions is a much more certain means of minimizing our own impact, beginning here and now. Our Policy page has a couple more informational links on the agreement.

8. But is climate change even happening? Why does reducing/sequestering carbon emissions matter?

NASA does a pretty good job of explaining anthropogenic climate change and the role of carbon emissions in causing it. Also, Michael and Auri are happy to help convince you that carbon emissions matter, so do not hesitate to reach out!

Further Reading