Now here’s a slightly tricky subject. There are an increasing number of ways to offset your CO2, but how to know which is best or even if your chosen method is effective? It’s a complicated subject and still much debated in scientific circles. To date, I’ve signed up with BP’s Target Neutral campaign, which allows you to offset vehicle emissions by helping them pay for projects (mostly renewable energy related in poorer countries). However, I think I could do better – not least in handling the issues mentioned earlier.
Areas still to work on:
- Select the most appropriate method of offsetting. The UK government has re-kindled the discussion regarding how to define (effective) offsetting by issuing some guidelines that affect the 60-odd companies based in the UK. Only 4 fulfilled all their criteria apparently!
- My central heating is gas powered, an obvious item to offset.
- Work travel. I’d like to work out how to pursuade my HR dept. at work to link my CO2 emissions gained during business travel to a cunning scheme from the Charities Trust that allows you to donate directly via the PAYE system to any UK registered charity.
- Holiday travel. Well, this one is a special case of the previous – I’d just have to sort out payments myself.
Carbon labelling becomes a reality « RealGreen said
[...] will be much discussion about the methodologies used – it’s a debate related to becoming carbon neutral – but putting a defined set of principles into practise is a bit step [...]