Images by Frederik Schönfeldt & Michael Liao

Carbon offsets, sometimes called climate compensation, are a great idea, and an important tool in combating the climate crisis. In short, carbon offsets mean paying someone else to reduce greenhouse gas emissions somewhere in relation to an amount that you decide. Often this would mean compensating for the emissions attributed to your airplane trip. As an example, the offset seller could build wind turbines to replace the local coal power plants, or perhaps plant trees to absorb carbon dioxide from the air. It could also be as simple as providing a source of clean water to a village, which would mean that they no longer had to boil the water before drinking it. But carbon offsets often get a bad rap. They can be confusing and some even ask: ”are carbon offsets even real?”. In this post, I’m gonna list a couple of reasons why carbon offsets truly are a good idea.

Al Gore in 2010, image by Tom Raftery. Source

1. Most carbon offsets are certified

Back in the late 2000’s, there was a boom in the interest in carbon offsets. With Al Gore’s infamous documentary An Incovenient Truth from 2006 and the COP15 Climate Change Conference in 2009, it was a big time for climate change policy. Carbon offsets came into the public eye as a possible tool that everyone could leverage in the fight against the climate crisis. However, the public eye also came with scrutiny, and soon carbon offsets were publicly viewed as a scam. Well, a decade has passed, and like many things, carbon offsets are better than ever. There are now multiple rigorous certifications, and finding a carbon offset that is not certified is more difficult than the opposite. And the good news is that…

2. Certifications are strict

The most widespread certifications are Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard, both of whom require third-party verification. Some of the key things that they look out for before certifying are:

The carbon offset has to be real: In other words, it actually exists as a project in the real world.

The carbon offset has to be additional: This means that the project would not have existed, if the carbon offset had not been purchased, e.g. through outside funding.

The carbon offset has to be permanent: I.e. it continues to exist even after a while. For example by verifying that the wind turbine is not torn down after a year.

The carbon offset has to be auditable: The carbon offset can be reliably counted, and it is made sure that the same tonne of CO2 is not sold as an offset twice.

Besides all these criteria (and more), many carbon offset standards also provide additional benefits, known as co-benefits. Some empower women and children by saving them time, which consequently gives them more freedom. Others increase or maintain biodiversity in an area, and some improve the health and economy of those involved in the project. What I’m saying is that…

Christian indulgences are nothing like carbon offsets.

3. Carbon offsets make a real difference

It’s often said that carbon offsets are just indulgences, and only exist to clear one’s conscience. Unlike the indulgences of the Christian church, carbon offsets are actually verifiable and can be counted and measured. They are also widely available, spread across continents and, when they include co-benefits, they can go beyond simply offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, carbon offsets are charity that can be measured in carbon dioxide equivalents.