 Interested in Carbon Credits? GSI Office Environments will help you demystify the process.
What are Carbon Offsets?
Carbon offsets are pollution equivalents that can be purchased resulting in the of carbon dioxide pollution in the atmosphere. For example, if you were to
purchase 5 tons of carbon offsets, the idea is that a project (renewable energy, tree planting, etc.) will be implemented that will result in 5 less tons of carbon dioxide from being produced or take 5 tons of carbon dioxide out of the air.
If you can’t choose a completely zero emissions lifestyle, you can purchase the carbon offset equivalent to your impact. Carbon offsetting is one of many market driven economic actions you can take to address climate change. While it may not be the answer to global climate change, it is a great education tool that can have a lasting impact.
Standards for Carbon Offset Programs:
- Reduce your impact first- it is important to offset all that you can, offsets shouldn’t be used instead of conserving.
- Look for offset providers that support specific projects- Don’t settle for a vagueclaim, make sure you know what you are contributing to.
- Look for Carbon Programs that offer a new reduction in emissions rather thantaking credit for a reduction that would have happened anyway.
- Look for offset providers whose reductions will happen in a clear time frame.
- Make sure your offset can’t be resold- offset providers deal with an invisibleproduct, so they need to be able to demonstrate that they sell each offset onlyonce.
- Look for Offset Providers that are independently verified. There is no nationalcertification for carbon offsets so many providers hire third party organizations tooversee their calculations and their projects.
- Avoid Offsets that purchase “allowances” on a climate exchange. When companies want to reduce their emissions, they can trade carbon emissions reductions that exceeded their targets with other companies.
How does GSI Office Environments’ offsets compare?
- We are focused on the offset of local projects- We work to reduce our local footprint and preserve our air quality, predominantly in Atlanta, Georgia, but also around the nation as many of our clients are national in scope with multiple locations.
- Third Party Verification- Our calculations and offset projects are disclosed on and are available for review by a third party.
- Our carbon offsets cannot be resold- We do not sell renewable energy credits that can be bought, sold and traded.
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