What’s the Deal with Carbon Offsets & Are They Worth It?

Carbon Offsets

A carbon offset is a way for an organization or individual to compensate for (or offset) their carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon offsets typically support projects that reduce emissions in the short or long term - whether that’s through renewable energy projects or tree planting or the like. Offsets are measured in tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, and we as individuals can use these measurements to measure our own carbon emissions from transportation, electricity use, and other sources. This measurement is called a carbon footprint. 

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases that our activities produce. The average carbon footprint for a person in the U.S. is ~ 15 tons per year - this is the highest per capita carbon footprint in the world. The global average is closer to 4 tons per person per year. To have the best chance of avoiding a 2-degree Celsius rise in global temperatures, the global average carbon footprint needs to come down to 2 tons per person per year. Lowering our carbon emissions from 15 tons to 2 tons isn’t easy, but taking small steps to lower our overall carbon footprint, and then offsetting what we can’t reduce will help! 

Our carbon emissions also vary greatly within the U.S. New York has the lowest per capita carbon emissions of any state (8 tons), while Wyoming has the highest (104 tons). You might be wondering how a state like New York with ~ 20 million people can have a lower average carbon footprint than a state like Wyoming, which has 600,000 people. “A large portion of the population [in New York] is located in the New York City metropolitan area, where mass transit is readily available and most residences are multi-family units that provide efficiencies of scale in terms of energy used for heating and cooling” (EIA). Plus, the New York economy is made up of low energy industries, like the financial markets. 

Image from Brazilian Experience

Whereas, Wyoming is the third-largest energy producer in the U.S., but has the lowest population density in the lower 48 states. This spreads the state’s emissions between fewer individuals, raising their per capita emissions. This does not mean that citizens of Wyoming are individually responsible for all 104 tons of carbon a year. We each have our own individual carbon footprint that we can reduce through simple lifestyle changes. 

Thinking about our carbon footprint, particularly here in the U.S., shows why carbon offsets might be useful. It is nearly impossible in the world that we live in to shrink our carbon emissions to zero, so using a carbon offset to reduce the emissions we must use is a great way to help the environment and join the fight against global warming. Tennesseans have an average of 16 tons of carbon emissions a year, but if you would like to get more personal, you can use a carbon footprint calculator to calculate your specific footprint. 

Are Offsets Worth It?

So now that you know what a carbon offset is and why it might be useful, you may be wondering if it’s worth it. There is plenty of skepticism about whether carbon offsets are a legitimate strategy in fighting climate change. For example, what’s to stop an individual or corporation from continuing to emit large amounts of carbon if they can just offset whatever they emit?

A common critique is that relying on carbon offsets could potentially create a culture of complacency. While there are current examples of the problematic use of carbon offsets in the corporate world, offsetting our individual emissions can have a positive effect. As I mentioned before, we live in a world where it is very difficult to live a carbon-neutral lifestyle, which is why we encourage people to reduce their emissions first and then offset the emissions they can’t reduce. 

There is also the potential for scams. Sometimes the offset project doesn’t actually exist. The Vatican, for example, was issued certificates for millions of trees that were never actually planted. Or the project may have been done even without the money from the carbon offset sales, which would make you feel cheated. For an offset to truly count, it needs to be additional, which can be hard to determine as a lay person. Luckily, there are third-party services that can help you make the best possible decision when it comes to choosing a carbon offset project. 

Types of Carbon Offsets 

Carbon offset projects range from trying to remove carbon from the atmosphere to preventing future carbon emissions. Tree planting is a common carbon removal project, while preventing deforestation and investing in renewables are ways to prevent future carbon emissions. 

Tree planting projects are one of the most common carbon offsets you can buy, but it’s not exactly the best option. Trees do capture carbon, but only over many years and when certain conditions are met. Newly planted trees don’t always survive either, and sometimes if you just leave the land alone, a forest will eventually grow up anyways. If you’re interested in trees, projects that focus on preventing deforestation are a good investment because they prevent the release of large amounts of carbon and they also have the added benefit of protecting biodiversity.

Some projects invest in energy efficiency and also in renewable energy. Energy efficiency might look like methane capture at landfills or investing in efficient cookware in developing countries. Efficient cookware often has added health benefits, poverty alleviation, and reduced workload for the families receiving these appliances. Renewable energy projects can look like adding wind farms or solar power to communities. 

Decision Time

So now that we’ve covered what carbon offset projects look like, it’s time to ensure we’re picking high-quality projects. The carbon offset project needs to meet certain criteria to be effective. The offset needs to be real, verified and enforceable, permanent, and additional. 

A real carbon offset is pretty self-explanatory - the project should actually exist. The project also needs to be verified by a third party, and there should be enforceable repercussions if the project owner doesn’t follow through. The offset should also be permanent - if an organization plants a million trees, they should not be allowed to then have all those trees logged once they reach maturity. Finally, and this is the most difficult, the offset needs to be additional. If the project was going to be done regardless of the offset benefits, then it doesn’t count. 

While determining if an offset project meets these criteria is difficult to do on your own,several organizations independently verify offset projects. There are groups like the Climate Action Reserve, which establish rules and protocols for offset projects. And then there are organizations that verify these projects to help businesses and individuals find reliable sellers, this includes the Gold Standard, the Verified Carbon Standard, and Green-e Climate. 

Image depicting solar cookstoves in a refugee camp in Chad from Gold Standard

You can also use a resource like Carbon Footprint, which compiles a list of projects that may be verified by multiple third parties and also have additional benefits like the protection of biodiversity and improvements in public health. 

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

To have the biggest individual impact on our planet, it’s important to remember to try and reduce your carbon footprint, as well. If you use a carbon footprint calculator, you can determine which categories you emit the most and then try and reduce those emissions. Here’s a list of common reduction strategies - it can be a little intimidating to see such a long list, but just do what you can. Every little bit helps!

Reduce energy use - Don’t run your a/c or heat as often - use blankets to warm you up and fans to cool you down! Consider air-drying your laundry in the summertime. Turn off lights and unplug electronics when not in use, and switch to LED light bulbs. 

Reduce water consumption - Take shorter showers, and turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. Consider switching faucets and showerheads to low flow taps. 

Switch to renewable energy - Consider adding renewables to your home or see if your utility company has the option to use renewable energy. For example, KUB has a robust and growing environmental stewardship program that recently included a Green Invest agreement with TVA to ultimately get ~8% of its electric power supply from solar. And their Green Switch Match program allows residential and commercial customers to receive 100% of their power supply through renewable energy. 

Weatherize your home - Building heating and cooling are among the biggest uses of energy. You can make your space more energy efficient by sealing drafts and insulating. You can claim federal tax credits for energy-efficient improvements. Also, CAC offers a weatherization program for low-income Knoxvillians! 

Invest in energy-efficient appliances

Eat less meat and eat all the food you buy - approximately 10% of U.S. energy consumption goes to growing and processing food, 40% of which ends up in the landfill. So if you reduce your food waste, you’re also reducing your energy consumption. 

Compost all of your organic waste - composting helps to prevent the release of harmful greenhouse gases because it encourages quick decomposition of organic matter. Whereas, organic matter sent to a landfill takes years longer to decompose and releases methane all the while. 

Recycle - recycling diverts waste from the landfill and reduces the need for the extraction of virgin materials, which saves energy. 

Drive a fuel-efficient car 

Fly less - consider alternatives to travel or cut down on travel altogether. Driving isn’t always the more efficient alternative, so consider taking a train instead of flying when possible.