What are Greenhouse Gases?

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are those that contribute to the 'greenhouse effect', trapping heat from the sun in the earth's atmosphere.  Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas, but there are a number of others including methane (CH4) and Nitrous Oxide (N20).

What is the Kyoto Protocol?

Following the original Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was introduced and has now been ratified by over 140 countries.

In 1997, at the fourth Conference of the Parties to the Convention, (often referred to as ‘COP 4’), the Kyoto Protocol was signed. This laid out the targets for the industrialised countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

The Kyoto Protocol was ratified by the required number of counties in February 2005 and came into force. This means that in the five years between 2008 and 2012 the UK has to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, on average, to 12.5% below what they were in 1990. Each country has a different target, but the total emission reductions amount to 5.7% below 1990 levels.

What are the best opportunities for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases?

To slow climate change, greenhouse gas reductions must be accelerated and deepened. Increased energy efficiency and switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy options such as wind and solar power are central in the move towards a low carbon economy. Other technologies, such as carbon sequestration, may contribute to progress in the long term, but we can not afford to ‘wait and see’ if such technologies will ultimately be successful.

What does CarbonNeutral® mean?

While many organisations claim to be carbon neutral, only those that achieve the CarbonNeutral brand mark can confidently and without any further qualifications say that they have truly achieved a net zero carbon footprint. This is achieved through a combination of internal changes, reduction and conservation strategies, as well as carbon offsetting.

Who is The CarbonNeutral Company?

Established for over ten years, the CarbonNeutral Company is the world’s leading carbon offset and climate consulting business, working with over 300 businesses and 50,000+ consumer clients..

CarbonNeutral® is the registered trademark of The CarbonNeutral Company and is the leading brand mark and quality standard for action on climate change.  Permission to display the CarbonNeutral mark is only given to organisations when CO2 emissions have been measured and reduced to net zero through a program implemented in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol. This Protocol assures quality of offset projects, carbon footprint assessments and communication and is regularly reviewed by an Independent Advisory Group. 

How are carbon emissions measured, is it an exact science?

The assessment methodology used by the CarbonNeutral Company’s science partner, ECCM, follows the reporting principles and guidelines provided by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol published by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute (WBCSD/WRI Protocol).

In line with the WBCSD/WRI Protocol, ECCM uses the following procedure to undertake a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Assessment:

• Establishment of the assessment boundaries (including the selection of: greenhouse gases, project boundaries and operational boundaries).
• Collection of client data.
• Evaluation of data quality and of client data sources.
• Calculation of emissions using appropriate conversion factors.
• Determination of suitable recommendations for future action.

While they are certain about the science of the conversion factors used, a level of uncertainty is introduced to the calculation when estimating data such as the number of business miles driven or air miles flown.

What are the easiest changes to make to reduce carbon emissions?

The easiest changes really depend on the nature of your operation. Since travel often accounts for 25% of a company’s carbon footprint many companies achieve reductions by changing the way they travel, possibly changing the profile of their fleet or setting targets for less air travel and increasing train travel. Other things to do that make significant savings are switching to a renewable energy tariff, reducing waste and relatively simple changes such as switching off equipment and lighting when not in use.

What is carbon offset?

Carbon offsetting means that for every one tonne* of CO2 a person or organisation produces, they pay for an equivalent one tonne of CO2 to be saved through a carbon offset project somewhere else in the world.  One tonne ‘offsets’ the other.  Individuals or organisations can invest in carbon-offset projects through the purchase of carbon credits.

Why does offsetting help?

Since the projects which generate the carbon offsets reduce GHG emissions which would not occur without the investment provided by the sale of the credits, all the emission reductions are new and additional to what would have happened otherwise. This means that use of voluntary offsets lead to lower global levels of GHGs and so help prevent dangerous climate change. Beyond this, investments in emission projects help spread the use and understanding of low carbon technologies and other climate change solutions as well as bringing a range of other economic, social and environmental benefits.

Are carbon neutrality, the offsetting process, and the companies involved regulated by a central body.  If not, without regulation, how can individuals and companies be confident in the validity of what offsetting companies are doing?

There is no centralised regulating body for carbon offsetting, although The CarbonNeutral Company is in the process of developing an international association of carbon offsetting companies to help the process of self regulation and work towards a common set of standards. In the absence of this, individuals and companies have to look critically at the individual companies they work with. The CarbonNeutral Company has led the way in standards for 10 years – and that’s why some of the worlds leading companies and 1000’s of consumers choose to work with them. The following are the critical elements of their quality assurance program:

• They work to a public standard – The CarbonNeutral Protocol. This governs the way they operate their business and the way they work with clients
• They have an independent advisory group comprised of business, academics, technical advisors and clients
• They commission a third party review (PriceWaterhouseCoopers) of their entire business once a year. PwC confirm that their contracts with carbon offset partners match their contracts with clients, and that they deliver to their promise
• They use a leading accounting practice (PwC) to audit their accounts annually
•  They have developed a leading edge carbon accounting policy as a new standard for the industry to ensure that every offsetting company reports in the same way. They report against this policy every year.
• They have a public register of carbon projects and offsets on their website
• They guarantee every single tonne of carbon that they sell – so that in the unlikely event that a carbon project fails, The CarbonNeutral status is maintained.

Is there any form of measurement that validates what offsetting companies are doing demonstrating that it has a positive impact?

A stabilisation trajectory for climate change requires around 39Gt in reductions between 2007 and 2013.  Reductions internally by companies and individuals through increased energy efficiency and clean technology may deliver around 16gt.  This places a requirement on carbon trading and offsetting to deliver the remaining 23gt.   

By offsetting (investing in emissions reductions around the world) additional benefits are realised.  For example, a solar project the CarbonNeutral Company are involved with in India.  They are replacing kerosene burners (carbon intensive and bad for health) with solar panels (low carbon, better for health, catalyses local employment).

Emissions are offset through different types of projects, including:

• Renewable energy: which make use of renewable sources such as wind, hydro or solar energy
• Energy efficiency: replacing carbon intensive energy equipment and/or processes with low carbon alternatives
• Methane capture: methane is 21 times more powerful than CO2 – these projects capture and convert methane

In the period June 2006 – July 2007, The CarbonNeutral Company contracted 1.4 million tonnes of CO2 from 27 projects. Over the last ten years, they’ve supported over 170 projects spread over 6 continents.

Carbon offset – is it greenwash?

No.  It is a way of people and businesses being able to reduce their emissions in a way that is more rapid than if they tried to do everything themselves.  Rapid CO2 reductions are what the world needs, as we need to reduce global emissions by 39 Billion tonnes per year, in order to stabilise atmospheric CO2 concentrations. 

‘It’s too easy – I pay my TMC to make my flight CarbonNeutral and I absolve my CO2 guilt’.

The CarbonNeutral Company’s experience is that paying for carbon offsets makes the buyer think more carefully about their CO2 emissions.  That encourages businesses to look at changing their business practice.

‘It’s not a real emission reduction’

It is – but it requires a global perspective.  For example: Passenger X is unable to stop flying and to reduce by 1tonne of CO2 because of business needs and commitments.   The way offset works is that there is project somewhere else in the world which could save 1 tonne easily, but they need a cash injection.  For example, in India they could swap from carbon intensive kerosene as an energy source, to solar panels – but they can’t afford the solar panels.  Through the purchase of carbon offset, you provide the financial assistance to subsidise the cost of getting solar panels on housing, and through that means you have enabled a saving of 1 tonne of CO2.   Passenger X has therefore reduced global net CO2 emissions by 1 tonne CO2.  The added benefit is that the passenger has helped a step change in local technology in a developing market.

‘Emission reduction projects fail – so there’s no substance to the net reduction claim’. 

This is about choosing the right carbon offset partner.  The CarbonNeutral Company insures all of its carbon – this means that if one of the UNIGLOBE’s chosen carbon offset projects fails (and some do), The CarbonNeutral Company makes good by guaranteeing any shortfall from other projects, so that CarbonNeutral® status is maintained. 

'There’s no guarantee that offset projects are really happening’. 

It is true that there the carbon offset and climate consulting area is increasingly competitive, and that there are a number of unprofessional entities entering the market, having seen an opportunity to make money.  Again, this comes down to UNIGLOBE reviewing our partners very carefully.   The CarbonNeutral Company is the only company trading in carbon credits that commissions an independent third party to verify its carbon business - i.e. that there is a full audit trail and that carbon contracted to clients is purchased and retired with absolute integrity.