Author: Louella Carr from Trace
We’re all trying to reduce our impact. Some people only buy second-hand clothes, others eat a plant-based diet and a small handful of superhumans (!) manage to cram their entire year’s worth of waste into a glass jar. And yet despite some of the most determined efforts to achieve net zero emissions, humans will always have a carbon footprint . That much is certain. Only now there is the option to compensate for the emissions of those lifestyle choices we just can’t avoid. A way to become carbon neutral or, dare I say it, carbon positive. And it’s as simple as choosing to offset your emissions at the end of booking a flight. Introducing a ‘carbon-offsetting subscription’.
It’s not just about carbon
A carbon offset (or carbon credit) is generated from an activity that prevents, reduces or
removes greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere to compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere. For every tonne of CO2 you emit, one carbon credit is
purchased.
What people don’t often know is that the carbon credit funds meaningful and impactful social projects, helping to support sustainable development and improve the lives of communities in some of the poorest countries in the world . Your dollar could be supporting a tree planting project that sequesters carbon and provides an income to families, or go towards a renewable energy project helping to build vital infrastructure in a developing country. So by offsetting your footprint, not only are you being environmentally conscious but also socially responsible.
How important is it for the planet?
By the end of 2016, the voluntary carbon market had reduced or prevented over 1 billion tonnes of emissions (since tracking began back in 2006), an amount roughly equivalent to the average annual emissions of Japan . That’s 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon that would be in the atmosphere right now were it not for equivalent offsets. Understandably, many organisations (including the UN) tout carbon offsetting as being one of the most effective tools we have in the fight against climate change
Now we all know that in order to achieve the reductions required to keep global temperature increase below 1.5C, we have to move to a low-carbon world as quickly as possible. The best way to do that is to try and cut emissions at the source, and offset only when all other options have been exhausted. But transitioning to low or zero-carbon alternatives is not going to happen
overnight, and so we need to do something about our unavoidable carbon footprint in the
meantime. Offsetting is one of the simplest, most efficient ways to reduce your impact. It is also currently the only way to achieve climate neutrality .
Where do I sign up!
This is where Trace comes in - a carbon offsetting subscription service. With a subscription, you
don’t have to worry about remembering every little detail - we’ve calculated the average
emissions of a typical adult and come up with three seperate usage plans for you to choose
from, simple as! We choose projects that deliver measurable benefits aligned to the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, like distributing improved
cook-stoves and safe water technologies in Rwanda. We also choose projects closer to home
and are currently funding the Myamyn Lowland Forest Conservation to protect the natural
habitat of Australia’s vulnerable wildlife, which is particularly important in the wake of the
devastating bushfires.
Safe community water supply in Rwanda, Gold standard
Ten years ago you would have been hard pressed to find an option to offset your emissions
when booking a flight and yet today it’s offered with almost all major airlines. As the need to
address climate change becomes more urgent, it would seem as though the demand for carbon offsetting is increasing , and could very well become commonplace. At the very least, it will be a vital tool along our journey to a net zero future.
Head on over to our-trace.com to find out how you can make an impact now!
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