As more and more airlines, travel-related companies and websites offer carbon offsets to neutralize the impact of our day-to-day activities on the climate, people are faced with the seemingly daunting task of figuring out what offset projects are doing the most to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the gases that are causing climate change. There are a wide variety of projects to choose from, including composting organic waste, changing forestry and farming practices and preventing emissions of industrial gases.
All projects that reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are equally valuable in addressing global climate change. A ton of carbon dioxide reduced through a reforestation project in Michigan has the same positive impact on the atmosphere as a ton of CO2-equivalent emission reductions at a nitrogen fertilizer plant in Louisiana. The key is to make sure that the emission reductions are real. So how do you do that? Here are six questions you should ask before you buy.
- Where is it registered? Credible offset projects are registered with a third-party registry operated by a reputable nonprofit organization, such as the Climate Action Reserve, or a government agency. If you want to check out the registry, take a look at its website and see how many and what kinds of projects it has registered and whether it requires its projects to be verified by an independent third-party (similar to a financial audit). If the project is not listed on a registry, find another one to invest in.