What does Offset, Reduce and Avoid Mean?
If you’re reading this, you likely want to demonstrate environmental stewardship. Congrats! That’s a noble, worthwhile goal—and one the Green Collar program supports very much.
But how exactly?
Tackling Carbon Emissions: A Three-Prong Approach
Carbon emissions accelerate climate change, damaging our planet. Minimizing these harmful emissions is key to protecting the environment and our future.
There are three ways in which you can minimize carbon emissions:
Offset them
Reduce them
Avoid them
Let’s dive into the details.
Offset
Carbon offsetting is when a business, government, or an individual pays someone else to offset emissions. Essentially, you’re offsetting your emissions by funding reduction activities elsewhere. A defined quantity of greenhouse gas emissions are still being removed from the atmosphere, reducing overall emissions and contributing to environmental protection.
Examples of carbon offsetting include: financing a solar panel project to displace conventional power, or restoring a deforested area by planting trees that absorb carbon in the air.
Reduce
On an industrial level, carbon reduction largely relates to improving efficiencies within manufacturing plants, as well as in transportation and supply chains. The name of the game here is to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere from business operations.
Examples of carbon reduction include: switching to energy efficient lightning at your offices and warehouses, or investing in cleaner fleet vehicles (or minimizing mileage).
Avoid
Complete carbon avoidance is a goal that feels very much out of reach. In a perfect world, every business would simply avoid pumping carbon into the environment. In reality, it’s a bit of a pipe dream, but we encourage you to avoid emissions on a personal level. They all add up!
Examples of carbon avoidance include: biking to work rather than driving, or meeting with co-workers and customers electronically rather than flying to meet in-person.
Of the three different (yet intertwined) ways to address carbon emissions, offsetting them offers affordable, proactive action. It achieves the objective of minimizing overall worldwide emissions, while also routing money to areas of the world that need it most. And it tells a great sustainability story that’s more far-reaching than simply reducing emissions on-site.
We can help you offset your carbon emissions with publicly-registered Verified Carbon Units generated from Nature Based Solutions. For ongoing promotion of your commitment to a greener future for all, let’s get you certified as a Green Collar business.