Some Answers to General Questions about Offsetting.

What is carbon offsetting?

Carbon Offsets are a tool to slow climate change by reducing avoidable carbon emissions to ‘offset’ those that are unavoidable.

Ideally, for every tonne of carbon dioxide that we emit in one place we reduce an emission elsewhere by a tonne (carbon neutral) or more (carbon positive).

The currency of this scheme is the Carbon Credit, which places a $ value on each tonne of carbon dioxide emitted or avoided.

Carbon offsets:

  1. Stop CO2 being produced. This is commonly known as reducing CO2 emissions and can be seen in examples such as replacing old light bulbs with efficient new ones.
  2. Capture CO2 from the atmosphere. This is known as carbon sequestration or carbon sinking - examples of which include planting trees that then absorb CO2 as they grow.
  3. Prevent existing CO2 from being released into the atmosphere. An example of this includes preventing methane from being released into the atmosphere. One tonne of methane is equal to 21 tonnes of CO2 in terms of its greenhouse toxicity.  Other examples include the use of catalytic converters in cars, the construction of clean coal power stations, and stopping the destruction of our forests.

What is a carbon footprint?

A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels; in the case of an organization, business or enterprise, as part of their everyday operations, and in the case of individuals or households, as part of their daily routines.

A carbon footprint is often expressed as tonnes of carbon dioxide or tonnes of carbon emitted, usually on a yearly basis.

Why is it important to know about your carbon footprint?

By measuring your carbon footprint, you have a better sense of what your individual impact is and which parts of your lifestyle deserve the greatest attention.

The carbon calculator has been designed to easily measure your carbon footprint. Armed with detailed information about the sources of your emissions, you can more readily take effective action to shrink your carbon footprint and minimise your personal impact on the climate.

Carbon offsetting alone won't stop climate change. The best offset is the one that doesn't need to be created. That means, the most effective measure you can take to fight climate change is to reduce, as much as possible, the emissions which make up your carbon footprint and then to offset the rest.

How can I reduce my carbon footprint while still enjoying a comfortable lifestyle?

For most people and businesses the reality is that living effectively in today's modern world requires the consumption of resources that have carbon emissions associated with them. It’s virtually impossible to live an emissions free life in our modern society. 

Once a person or business exhausts all the realistic ways they can decrease their environmental impact they can choose to offset their remaining carbon footprint.

How small should my footprint be? Should I become CARBON NEUTRAL?

In an ideal world everybody would do their best to reduce their CO2 emissions and offset their remaining footprint, making them CARBON NEUTRAL.

Each person or business should consider their situation and decide how small they believe their footprint should be and take actions to reach their goal. Remember that even a small offset can make a positive long term impact on the environment.

How do you calculate my CO2 emissions?

The calculator uses standard, scientifically validated methods for calculating your footprint. Please refer to our technical document for further details. It can be found Here.

How are carbon credits regulated?

In order for carbon credits to be generated, a project has to be approved and registered by a verifying body such as the Australian Greenhouse Office or the NSW Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme.

When you buy a registered credit it is RETIRED so that it can never be used or sold again.

How do I know my purchase will be applied to a real project?

The offsets you purchase from us have all been generated in Australia by reputable organizations regulated by either federal or state governments.

When you offset via the calculator we will email you details of your purchase including information about your offsets and how they were retired.