There are times when you may have no choice but to select a less green option, but there are still things you can do to reduce your impact.
Carbon offset is when an individual or organisation directly or indirectly funds a project which helps others to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere to compensate for the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as a result of their activities e.g., going on a long-haul flight or cruise. This can be projects that capture carbon dioxide eg planting trees or re-establishing peat bogs or projects in developing countries that help them reduce their emissions e.g. providing energy efficient cooking stoves or methane digesters or providing a wind turbine for communities that can’t afford to pay for it themselves. There are a large number of carbon offset companies available, and they vary in their ‘value for money’. It is best to try to choose projects that can only happen because of the funding you provide rather than something that will happen without your support.
‘Native Energy’ is one of the options that you may be interested in for carbon offsetting.
While this is better than nothing, ultimately, we need to be reducing emissions themselves to ensure we can reach our targets. Consider it when all other options aren’t available. You can also choose between airlines to see which is the most efficient trip. ‘Atmosfair’ publishes an index which compares airlines’ efficiency, so customers can choose the airline with lowest emissions.
To find out about carbon emissions, input your flight requirements and choose between airlines’ average carbon emissions figures.
