How To Purchase Carbon Offsets

Posted by EcoFriendly

Apr 6

In the previous post we looked at the question of whether or not carbon offsets are a real deal. As it turns out, they are, but you need to be careful when purchasing so you don’t waste your money. Since there’s no regulations for carbon offset credits, you’ll need to do some investigating before you buy.

global-warming

At a site that sells carbon credits you should look for the following:

Clear green goals laid out – what exactly are they doing with funds?
Are projects clearly defined. For example, how soon is your money used, what exactly is it used for, and how much of your money goes directly to the project vs. money for running the company.
Decide what matters most to you before you buy. Really, offsetting any carbon is smart, but to make it more personal, you could stick to what affects you the most. For example, business travelers could offset best by purchasing airline credits.

You should also check with an eco-company watchdog like Clean Air Clean Planet. This organization has an excellent Consumer’s Guide to Carbon Credits (opens in pdf, but very worth the read). You can also look for reviews of carbon offset companies online like at Carbon Offset Reviews or do a search. I always try to look for the negative – so for example, you can type in the name of an offset company and also type “problems” or “scam” and see what pops up.

BONUS: Ten Carbon Offset Providers Explain Why They Do It For Love And/Or Money is a great piece that interviews companies who sell credits; a nice behind the scenes look.

[image via stock.xchng]