Carbon Offsetting 101
Ever wondered how your company’s carbon footprint can be neutralized? The specific process of carbon offsetting aims to do just that. With society still heavily dependent on fossil fuels, this process was created to retroactively amend past environmental degradation while simultaneously providing a tool for us to be proactive in our actions to address the climate crisis.
What is Carbon Offsetting?
Carbon Offsetting refers to the purchase of carbon credits or offsets equal to your carbon footprint, counterbalancing CO2e emitted. Carbon offsets and credits are essentially permits or certificates that represent a quantity of carbon being avoided or removed from the atmosphere, and indirectly, your carbon-emitting activities.
Offsets and credits are generated through carbon reduction activities that happen all around the world. Your investments directly fund initiatives that deliver both socioeconomic and environmental support.
From providing affordable and energy-efficient cookstoves for rural Ugandan communities to reduce coal and firewood usage, to forest restoration in the Appalachians, there are numerous initiatives being carried out through a variety of offsetting companies.
To ensure that your carbon reduction process is accurate and fulfilling, we partner with reputable offsetting organizations, guaranteeing that the projects they endorse are registered with third-party international verifiable standards such as UNFCCC and Gold Standard.
A Trusted Partner: Cool Effect
We partner with Cool Effect, a globally recognized non-profit platform that houses an extensive portfolio of carbon reduction projects referred to as the “Coollection”. These initiatives focus on three main categories: greenhouse gas capturing, ecosystem preservation, and energy efficient cookstove distribution.
To ensure that the intended offsetting results are being achieved, Cool Effect has a team of scientists and financial advisors conducting verification and vetting processes for each project. With over 1 million tonnes of CO2 already offset, Cool Effect is one of the leading organizations in the field, and we’re proud to work with them.
Project Spotlight: The Alto Mayo Protected Forest
To give more color to the carbon offsetting process, let’s take a look at a preservation project that benefits not just the environment, but also local communities: The Alto Mayo Protected Forest project, located in northern Peru.
Sponsored by Cool Effect, this project has a goal of protecting almost 450,000 acres of trees and life. The forest is twice the size of New York City -- successful preservation would mean an average of 500,000 tonnes of carbon pollution avoided annually.
The project addresses 6 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals through these benefits:
Protection of 3000+ plant and 400+ bird species, unique to South America
Protection of the freshwater supply used by 240,000 people living in nearby communities
Facilitation of coffee farmers having a price premium on their certified organic coffee to help raise household incomes
Direct involvement of 600 families in the project to improve harvest yields and therefore, food and economic security
The holistic nature of this project shows just how interconnected our ecosystems are and why there is an urgent need to protect them. When working with us to take your organization carbon neutral, your investments in carbon offsets directly fund projects such as this one.
Offset With Us
Now that you’ve learned a bit more about what carbon offsetting means, we hope that you see how viable a method it is when it comes to taking your company carbon neutral. We firmly believe in the offsetting process as a tool to fight the climate crisis and ask that you will join us in the movement towards a greener earth.
Learn about our affordable carbon footprint solutions for small and medium-sized businesses
Book a free strategy session to discuss your climate goals with a sustainability manager.
About RyeStrategy
Based in Seattle, RyeStrategy is a CDP-accredited, mission-oriented company specialized in carbon accounting, mitigation coaching, and climate disclosure solutions for organizations at any point in their sustainability journey. Learn how RyeStrategy helped Salesforce, Ideascale, and Wazoku achieve their sustainability goals.
From exhaustive carbon footprinting and mitigation coaching, to setting science-based targets and reporting climate data to CDP, SBTi or custom reporting platforms, RyeStrategy acts as a hands-on extension of the team, custom-tailoring services to fulfill climate disclosure requirements easily and accurately.
Meet with a sustainability specialist to learn more about RyeStrategy solutions.
