What is a carbon credit?
One carbon credit equals an independently verified reduction of 1 ton of CO2 in the atmosphere. So if you emit 10 tons of CO2, you can compensate for it by means of ten carbon credits, thus producing a reduction of 10 tons of CO2 in the atmosphere. The carbon credits used by Climate Neutral Group are certified according to the most stringent international criteria such as the Gold Standard, CDM and VCS (Voluntary Carbon Standard). Furthermore, all credits are registered and cancelled in independent registries to avoid double selling.
How does carbon offsetting work?
Carbon offsetting is a mechanism that neutralises a certain quantity of CO2 emissions that occurs at one place by making a reduction by the same quantity of CO2 at another place. This is done by means of CO2 reduction projects in the fields of sustainable energy, forest protection and reforestation. These projects prevent emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 or absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Read more about offsetting.How can I offset?
Offsetting is very simple using the calculator on our website. You can enter data relating to your energy consumption, transport, air travel and other activities. A calculation will then be made of how much CO2 you or your company emits. This is your carbon footprint. You can offset all these emissions with just one click of a button. Payment can be made using MasterCard, bank transfer, Visa card or iDEAL. These payment methods are 100% safe and secure. Go straight to the calculator.
Doesn't carbon offsetting distract from the real solution?
Minimising the climate impact of companies and private individuals starts by reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases. However, no matter how much people reduce, there will usually be an amount of CO2 that remains. Offsetting these inevitable emissions is currently the only way of becoming completely climate neutral. Therefore, carbon offsetting is not a let-off, but an essential step towards achieving a sustainable balance in the atmosphere.
Is offsetting using forestry projects really effective?
Deforestation accounts for more than 20% of the climate problem. Therefore, Climate Neutral Group believes that reforestation must be part of the solution. Some critics claim that there is no point in doing this because all the stored CO2 will be released again if a tree dies or burns down. For an individual tree this risk is unavoidable, but in its growth phase a forest will absorb a certain quantity of CO2 each year. Climate Neutral Group invests only in forests that satisfy strict requirements, including the guaranteed survival of the forest for a prolonged period of time.
Who checks whether offsetting with carbon credits actually takes place?
Climate Neutral Group attaches great importance to reliability and transparency. Various checks and balances have been built into the offsetting process to make sure that offsets sold result in a true reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere:
- Certification of CO2 reduction: the quantity of CO2 reduction of each offsetting project is checked by independent certification organisations such as SGS, TUV and KPMG.
- Recording in independent registers: all carbon credits are registered and cancelled in independent registers such as the Gold Standard register, VCS register and Triodos Climate Clearing House. This avoids the double selling of credits.
- Calculation of CO2 emissions: among other things, emission calculations are based on globally accepted and applied values of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNDP).
- Auditing of CO2 books: accountants of BDO check whether the quantity of carbon credits sold corresponds with the quantity of carbon credits registered in name of Climate Neutral Group at various clearing houses (i.e. registers).
- Transparency for society: each year Climate Neutral Group publishes an annual report that provides information about what the organisation is doing. This makes Climate Neutral Group one of the most transparent providers of CO2 offsetting services.