All life on earth is carbon-based. Natural processes recycle carbon, storing most of it in the ground. However, many modern industrial activities send CO2 into the atmosphere, disrupting nature’s balance. Many companies have responded by offsetting carbon emissions. There are many different types of carbon offsets, but they can all be divided into two categories.
Some carbon offset projects focus on preventing more carbon from entering the atmosphere. Others work to clean up excess carbon that’s already in the air. Both types of projects can be combined with social development goals to benefit the planet and the people who live on it. Here are seven unique types of carbon offset programs businesses can start today.
Restore Native Forests
Forest conservation can offset carbon emissions through both prevention and reduction of existing carbon in the atmosphere. Trees are an incredibly valuable resource for improving carbon levels in the air. As part of their physiological process, they naturally filter CO2 and release oxygen. Decomposed wood also traps carbon in the ground, creating healthy soil.
Despite the benefits, some environmentalists have expressed concern over the permanency of forest conservation for carbon offsets. After one company works to restore a forest area, another may pay to cut down the trees. Transparent documentation can help companies ensure their carbon offsets are making a permanent difference. Every day a tree stays in the ground, it’s removing CO2 from the air.
Capture Landfill Gas
As items break down in solid waste landfills, they emit greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide. Some companies work to capture these gases and then reuse them as energy. Although many types of carbon offsets positively impact developing countries, this kind of offset directly impacts the air quality in America.
Taking carbon dioxide out of the air is similar to bailing water out of a boat. Bailing will help prevent a catastrophe, but it would be more effective in the long run to plug the hole. Companies interested in offsetting carbon emissions should also be concerned with reducing their environmental impact as much as possible.
Donate Efficient Stoves
In many developing countries, families rely on coal fires for food and warmth. As a fossil fuel, coal contributes to air pollution and sends greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Burning coal releases sulfur dioxide, CO2, and particulates, which contribute to respiratory diseases. Many families in the developing world also rely on wood for fuel, resulting in deforestation.
Companies can offset their carbon emissions and invest in social development by donating efficient stoves to families who burn coal or wood. Although individuals will still be using this fuel, they won’t need as much. Instead of buying as much fuel, they’ll be able to invest their money somewhere else. Some carbon offset companies produce efficient stoves on-site, further increasing prosperity by giving jobs to residents.
Support Co-Processing
The industrial world faces two major problems. Although they need energy to run, many types of energy production lead to pollution. Some of the materials that industry produces also can’t be recycled. So, modern industry is faced with increasingly high amounts of unrecyclable waste and lower reserves of energy.
Co-processing solves both problems with one solution. In the process of recycling materials, it also generates clean energy. An example of co-processing is using cement kilns to burn unrecyclable waste like glass and aluminum. Kilns are designed to reduce any harmful particles that could be released by burning materials. The heat produced during this process is then used to fuel further industrial activities.
Purify Polluted Water
In many developing countries, families must boil water before use to ensure it’s safe. Poor infrastructure and unsustainable industries can pollute water with dangerous chemicals and bacteria. To purify their water with heat, families must use more fossil fuels on a daily basis. Because of this connection, offsetting carbon emissions sometimes means purifying water.
Of the two types of carbon offsets, clean water projects are considered preventive offset projects. They keep additional carbon from ending up in the atmosphere and protect families from the serious health effects that follow air pollution. Clean water benefits communities in an untold number of ways – it saves families time and increases their physical and financial resources.
Invest in Carbon Storage
Other carbon-offset companies focus on capturing carbon from the air and storing it away underground. Climeworks is a good example of a company operating in this industry space. Using direct air capture technology, Climeworks’ industrial plants remove carbon directly from the atmosphere. Then, they send the captured carbon underground, where it turns into stone.
This method of offsetting carbon emissions is more properly known as carbon capture and storage, or CCS. Because this form of offsetting carbon emissions is fairly new, it’s still expensive. In addition, some critics worry about the impact of underground storage on geological pressure. However, compared to other types of carbon offsets, CCS is measurable and permanently removes carbon from the atmosphere.
Promote Clean Energy
Some companies offset their carbon emissions by financially supporting sustainable energy plants like wind farms or solar panel fields. These forms of energy generation can replace burning fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions in a particular area. Because air pollution affects the entire globe, lowering emissions in one part of the world benefits the entire natural system.
While many carbon offset programs benefit developing countries, others can be harmful. It’s essential that companies work with trusted partners to ensure their investments build local economies instead of destroying them. Carbon offset programs can affect the surrounding environment in many complex ways.
Offsetting Carbon Emissions
Carbon offsets come in two major forms. Companies can prevent carbon from entering the atmosphere or they can reduce the carbon emissions that already exist. Both types of carbon offsets are valuable for reducing CO2 levels and purifying the air around the world. Many companies invest in carbon programs to reduce any negative industrial impact on the climate.
Offsetting carbon emissions isn’t a replacement for reducing initial CO2 emissions, but it can help businesses work toward a healthy climate. Many carbon offset programs have the additional benefit of building local economies and improving the quality of life for families in the developing world. These seven carbon offset programs are only a few of the many ways that companies can give back.
Emily Newton is the Editor-in-Chief of Revolutionized, an online magazine discussing the latest technologies changing our world.