Helping The Planet Through Carbon Offset
As the planet reels under increasing levels of environmental pollution and global warming, carbon offset has come as a saviour by incentivizing companies and governments to cut their carbon emissions.
Carbon offset is a way of reducing the emission of harmful greenhouse gases by using different means like sustained reforestation initiatives, green and renewable energy usage etc. The Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement signed by most countries in 2005 puts limits on emission by all participant countries depending on if they are emerging or developed, which in turn governs emissions by different sectors in each of these countries.
The Protocol says that industries emitting a huge quantity of carbon dioxide must limit their CO2 emissions to allowed levels, or else pay a carbon tax, which is an environmental tax on hazardous emissions, or alternatively purchase carbon credits certificates that can be traded in the market. Carbon credits, which came much earlier than carbon offset, are extremely popular and cost effective options for businesses, with one credit allowing the owner to emit 1000 kilograms of carbon dioxide into the environment. Both global and local firms, to make their operations carbon neutral and improve their image in front of clients and investors, are increasingly buying carbon credits.
Ambitious ecological projects around the globe that are striving for the overall decrease of CO2’s harmful effects on the environment are now also being helped by the carbon offset system, which funds many of these projects. It helps in encouraging alternative and renewable energy choices like tidal energy, solar power etc and other nature conservation projects like reforestation.
Even common people are increasingly making use of the carbon offset scheme to decrease their carbon footprint and are advocating this method to others as well. Carbon offset can be easily purchased online through one of the many providers, but caution must be taken to ensure that your money is invested in the correct projects.
However, we should not forget that buying carbon offset does not absolve us of our responsibilities, and that all of us can play a significant part in reducing our carbon footprints by making minor changes to our everyday lives. What we can do additionally on our part to protect the environment is to adopt small measures like using cleaner fuels such as biodiesel, and installing LED lights in place of high-energy bulbs, and use only as much energy as we need.
Carbon offset is yet to find its place in an average person’s vocabulary. Mass awareness on the subject through extensive education is required to bring us some steps closer to a pollution free and healthy planet.
Learn more about carbon offset and carbon trading and get a deeper understanding on how you can help in saving the environment.
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