How to use Carbon Offsetting to reduce your Carbon Footprint

Richard Tubb

I’m a frequent traveller, both regionally and internationally. Where possible, I catch the train to destinations — but all too often this is very inconvenient or, sadly, not economical.

In these situations, driving or boarding an aeroplane for a flight is often the only option — but this goes against my desire to live an environmentally friendly, or green, lifestyle.

Both cars and planes create Carbon Dioxide (CO2) which cause carbon emissions which are bad for the planet.

I’ve written about my own green journey and how to be an extreme recycler.

So how can I reconcile my need to travel by car and plane with my desire to live a green lifestyle?

What is Carbon Offsetting?

Carbon Offsetting

Leo Hickman discusses “Carbon offsets” in his Guardian column (and I’d highly recommend Leo Hickman’s book “A Life Stripped Bare: My Years Trying To Live Ethically”).

In a nutshell, many companies have sprung up that offer to offset the carbon you produce as a result of your daily activities (in this case, driving or flying) by funding schemes such as planting trees — which soak up CO2 — and Solar projects with a donation you’ve made after working out exactly how much CO2 you’ve caused to be released into the environment. Find out more about tree planting and offsetting your carbon footprint in this blog.

So, is carbon offsetting the answer to our planet’s CO2 issues?

Does Carbon Offsetting work?

Ideally, we should be seeking ways to reduce the actual damage caused by CO2 generated by planes and cars. But in reality, this is a long, slow process, so I’m in favour of being environmentally responsible and funding projects elsewhere that can actually help in the short-term.

Therefore, twice a year I visit the ClimateCare website and participate in the ClimateCare Carbon Offsetting programme.

Using the ClimateCare Carbon calculator, I input:-

details of flights I’ve made in the previous twelve months
the number of miles I’ve driven in my car in the previous twelve months (tip: your latest MOT certificate shows you your annual mileage)

The calculator then works out the CO2 impact you’ve had and allows you to make a donation towards projects that tackle climate change, protect the environment and help change people’s lives.

[tweet_box design=”default”]The ClimateCare Carbon calculator works out the CO2 impact you’ve had and allows you to donate towards projects that tackle climate change.[/tweet_box]

Conclusion

I know that Carbon Offsetting is not an ideal solution to the problems that cars and aeroplanes cause for our planet.

You might even argue that using carbon offsetting is more about assuaging your personal guilt, but I don’t subscribe to this.

Carbon Offsetting helps keep me conscious of how much I travel, the unseen impact of that travel and reminds me to mitigate it where possible.

I’m interested in your opinion. Is Carbon Offsetting a good thing or a futile effort? Please leave a comment below.

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Climate Care, Environment, Reheated, Travel

RICHARD TUBB

Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk

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