Carbon offsets

All carbon offset projects must be certified under at least one set of standards. Two of the most well-known and trusted are Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Gold Standard for the Global Goals (GSGG), but there are more. Different standards can have different intents. For instance, VCS is narrowly focused on of greenhouse gas emissions reduction, while GSGG has a broader scope of delivering benefits in all 17 of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals. By purchasing from vendors with many projects verified under these standards, you maximize the likelihood that your offset is high quality and also has a broader sustainable development benefit as a bonus and form of insurance. Whatever you choose, make sure to do your research so you know it’s a high-quality offset!

As a potential purchaser of carbon offsets, you will be buying from carbon offset vendors. Vendors work with project developers and owners to sell the offsets that were issued to those projects by a standard. Some vendors offering personal offsets include Atmosfair, Carbon Credit Capital, Climeworks (which runs its own direct air capture projects), and Terrapass. On a vendor’s website, you can find a list of the projects that they work with as well as the standards organization(s) that have verified them. Usually, you cannot choose a specific project from which to purchase credits, but you can search for a vendor that has lots of projects that you like and that are verified by the standard of your choice.

Some vendors have more than one product option for the personal carbon offset buyer. These options include purchasing a fixed amount of offsets or enrolling in a subscription for a monthly amount of your choosing, based on how many tons of CO2 you want to offset. In addition, some providers also offer products tailored for specific purposes, such as offsetting flight emissions. As an example, here are all of the personal products offered by Terrapass. Another choice is Carbon Checkout, which allows you to choose from among three subscription fees and five impact areas, and adjust for the number of people in your family. Decide which one makes the most sense for you!

Another strategy you can use is diversification. Every offset vendor has its own focus in terms of the types of projects it verifies- forests, renewable energy, carbon dioxide removal, etc. A thriving offset market would have lots of diversity among offset projects. So, instead of always purchasing offsets from the same vendor or signing up for one membership, consider diversifying your purchases to contribute to a robust and competitive offset market.

A strategy is to account for the possibility of under-quality offsets is to purchase more offsets than you need. This strategy is employed by Christiana Figueres, previous Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). If you can afford it, you can decide what ratio you want to use - 50% extra, double, triple - there’s no right or wrong answer. The more you purchase, the more assured you can be that you will offset your emissions. Plus, any extra offsets you buy help increase demand and grow the market. You can determine your own personal carbon footprint here.

Hopefully, you feel more empowered now to make a smart decision about what carbon offsets to purchase. Of course, while buying high quality offsets is definitely helpful, when it comes to your personal carbon footprint, making lifestyle changes - such as driving less, using less heat and electricity, and taking fewer flights - is even better. Beyond that, you can also contribute to driving societal change by talking about the issue with friends and family, participating in climate action groups like Citizens’ Climate Lobby, and using your political voice. However, if buying offsets is your introduction to climate change or something you can do now, then that’s alright! Just remember to tell your friends and family why you’re doing it to make your efforts spread more broadly.