Carbon Offsets
Category: Carbon Offsets
A carbon offset is a tradable instrument that represents the reduction or removal of one metric tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent. Carbon offsets fund projects that reduce greenhouse gases, ranging from reforestation to renewable energy investments. Offsets can be bought and sold to transfer climate benefit between entities. Carbon offsets represent a unit of carbon dioxide equivalents and are different from RECs.
Benefits
- Easy short term solution to reach carbon neutrality
- When done correctly, offsets can fund sustainable projects worldwide
- Offsets are a mechanism to fund the most cost efficient emissions reductions, regardless of location
Challenges
- Offsets can be hard to manage and money may be lost to the middleman
- Additionality is hard to quantify
- If projects are far from campus, there may not be a strong connection to the institution
Impacts
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GHG Impact
Large
More InfoOffsets can mitigate a lot of CO2.
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Economic Impact
Small Net Cost
More InfoThis is a purchase with no return on investment.
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Feasibility
Doable
More InfoEasiest way to immediately reduce net emissions.
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Timeline
< 1 year
More InfoOffsets can be bought at any time.
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Maintenance
Low / None
More InfoOnce paid for, it’s out of sight and out of mind.
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Publicity
That's cool
More InfoCampus community may not be well informed.
