What are carbon offsets?
Carbon offsets , also known as carbon credits, represent a net reduction of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from the
atmosphere but the term is also used when other greenhouse gasses such as Methane are removed from the
atmosphere. When people talk about carbon offsets they are usually talking about buying carbon credits to
counteract the negative impact of corporate or personal activities.
Carbon credits are issued by a certifying body - either a government or an impartial third party. They are
usually measured in metric tons of CO2. One metric ton equals 2204 pounds.
Carbon offsets are a general term. The actual markets deal in either Verified Emissions Reductions (VERs) or
Emissions Allowances. As far as reducing pollutants they have the same effect, but the approach is slightly different.
Emissions Allowances are granted under a "cap and trade" program. This approach first sets an
overall cap, or maximum amount of emissions for all sources under the program. Emission allowances are then granted
to the sources. A factory may, for example, be granted emissions allowance to produce 10,000 tons of CO2. If they
emit fewer than 10,000 tons they can sell their extra allowances to another factory that has emitted more.
The total number of tons emitted is reduced to the capped level.. Companies that can reduce their
emissions efficiently receive financial benefit for going beyond the requirements. Companies that cannot
efficiently reduce emissions fund the development of newer more efficient technologies.
If a third party buys one ton of emissions allowances and 'retires' them (takes them off the market
altogether) then that is one less ton of CO2 that the system can produce. The net effect is that there is even
less emitted than the level set by the cap. In addition, the price of allowances goes up, increasing the benefit
to efficient sources and increasing the costs for inefficient sources.
Verified Emissions Reductions are a lot like what they sound. A company takes it upon
themselves to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and then a third party measures and verifies the impact. The
keys to meaningful VERs are "additionality" and rigorous verification.
Additionality means that the effort would not have happened as part of business as usual i.e., the
financial incentive offered by the offset market makes a project feasible that would otherwise not be feasible.
Verification should be ongoing and thorough. Measurements need to be taken before a project begins
to establish a baseline and they need to be ongoing to keep accurate and records.
Currently the C-Minus program relies upon VERs monitored by the Environmental Resources Trust (ERT)
and trades on ERTs trading platform: the Global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) registry. ERT has the most rigorous and
in-depth verification procedures we have been able to find.
more...
What is a carbon credit?
A carbon credit is a general term for the verified removal of 1 Ton of carbon dioxide or other gasses with
an equivalent impact from the atmosphere.
The term is often used interchangeable with "carbon offset."
How do offsets help with global warming?
The market in these offsets creates a financial incentive for companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and puts private investment money toward the next generation of energy efficiency and environmental technology.
Carbon offsets have also spread the idea that we can and should measure and account for the
environmental costs of our activities.
This may be the most powerful benefit of the recent carbon neutral trend. We will only have a truly
sustainable economy when we all consider the environmental impact of our actions. Carbon offsets help establish
this concept in the mainstream consciousness.
How do you know that your offsets fully account for the impact of your products?
We have relied on Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data on our materials and manufacturing processes.
LCI is an in-depth look at the environmental impact of a material, product or process.
Based on this data we estimate that each set of MicroBites with 25 pounds of verified emissions
reductions has a net greenhouse gas impact of negative 24.2 pounds.
MicroBite:
At a maximum the manufacture of each microbite contributes about 13 times its weight in CO2 toward
global warming. It could be as little as 11, but we'd hate to underestimate. Each microbite weighs
just under an ounce, so either way the total impact is less than one pound. Each Microbite carries
25 pounds of carbon offsets, so no matter which way you cut it, these little guys pull their weight.
MicroBite Material: Nylon 66, which has a net greenhouse gas impact of 9.9-11 pounds of CO2 per pound
of material according to
this study.
Manufacturing Process: Injection Molding, which has a net greenhouse gas impact of 1.2-1.6 pounds CO2
per pound of product according to
this study from MIT.
MicroBite weight: 1 oz
Estimated GHG emission based on material: 11 oz plus
Estimated GHG emission based on mamanufacture process: 1.6 oz
Total Estimated GHG emissions for one set of MicroBites: 12.6 oz
Verified GHG Reduction: 25 pounds
Net Verified GHG Reduction per MicroBite: 24.2 pounds per set of MicroBites
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