Carbon Offsetting – What, Where, How?

Carbon offsetting is a much talked about option but poorly understood. It may feel like ‘cheating’ or not delivering genuine benefits to reduce carbon emissions.

This article looks at the why and how of carbon offsetting to answer these questions.

Why focus on carbon emissions?

Climate experts have identified carbon emissions as the primary cause of climate change currently being observed. Before the industrial revolution, natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions drove the change. Since the industrial revolution, which saw a dramatic increase in carbon emissions that continues today, the global temperature has risen faster than previously.

During the 20th and 21st centuries, the level of carbon dioxide has risen by 40%. Today, there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than there ever has been in at least the past 800,000 years.