Offset your carbon footprint
What is Carbon Offsetting?
Carbon offsetting is a way to balance out your emissions by funding projects that remove or prevent CO₂ from entering the atmosphere. This can include initiatives like reforestation, renewable energy, and carbon capture.
However, it should be noted that offsetting emissions is a nice-to-have, rather than a comprehensive solution. Here’s why:
Direct Emission Cuts Are More Effective – Reducing emissions at the source (e.g. using renewable energy, cutting down on travel) prevents CO₂ from ever entering the atmosphere, while offsetting simply neutralises emissions after the fact.
Offsets Take Time – Tree planting, for example, can take decades to fully absorb the CO₂, whereas immediate emission reductions can help right now.
Limits of Offset Projects – Not all offset projects are equal in terms of carbon savings or effectiveness. Some projects might not provide as much impact as we hope, or they might even be unsustainable.
That being said, when it comes to activities that are hard to avoid—like air travel or certain necessary lifestyle choices—offsetting is definitely better than nothing. It allows you to support meaningful climate projects while working on cutting emissions where you can.
How to offset
Ecologi offers a simple way to offset your carbon footprint. For £9.40 per month, the Essential plan offsets 8 tonnes of CO₂ per year and plants 4 trees each month. However, while Ecologi estimates 8 tonnes as the average UK footprint, most sources suggest it’s closer to 10-12 tonnes, so opting for the Ultimate plan may better cover your emissions. Use this link to get 5 extra trees planted for you and for Green Yaks.
You can also fund specific projects through their Impact Shop, which is great for offsetting things like flights.
Why stop at personal action? Encourage your employer to offset the company’s carbon footprint too. Businesses have a far greater impact, and Ecologi offers tailored solutions to help companies offset emissions and fund green projects. By getting your workplace involved, you can amplify climate action on a much larger scale.
Final Note
Just remember, offsetting isn’t a free pass. It’s a useful tool for balancing out what you can’t avoid, but the real goal should be to reduce emissions first. Offsetting helps bridge the gap but should never be a substitute for cutting your overall footprint.
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