Carbon offset projects focus on carbon reduction and carbon removal and include everything from sustainable forestry to livestock manure management, landfill gas, and industrial … The types of carbon offset projects that are implemented are diverse. The offsets from these projects are registered under the Climate Action Reserve (CAR) or Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) which assure transparency and quality in the creation, quantification, and verification of offset projects. Under CDM projects are verified by 3rd Party auditors and reviewed, approved/ rejected by a CDM Executive Board. CO2nsensus works in different international carbon offsetting projects as below. Forestry and conservation. But ultimately, we chose NativeEnergy as our top pick because of its user-friendly calculators that help users better understand their carbon footprint. Since there’s no globally recognized cost of carbon, the price of offsets usually depends on the project that produces them — typically between $5 and $10 per metric ton of carbon dioxide. You can easily calculate the footprint of your home, car, motorcycle, internet, and more — but our favorite is the commute calculator. The platform also offers the ability to purchase offsets monthly, quarterly, or annually so you can commit to regularly offsetting your environmental impact. … Carbon offset credits can be produced by a variety of activities that reduce GHG emissions or increase carbon sequestration. To calculate and offset the carbon footprint of your commute, use the commute calculator and enter information about how you get to work, how far you travel, and how many days you commute each year. (a) The purpose of the Compliance Offset Protocol U.S. Forest Projects (protocol) is to quantify greenhouse gas emission reductions and greenhouse gas removal enhancements associated with the sequestration of carbon … ACR260 has received 2,676,483 carbon credits to date — with each credit equal to 1 metric ton of CO 2 — which makes it the largest credited forest offset project in Oregon and among the fifteen largest forest projects in California’s carbon offset market. Why it's a fit for Treehugger: 3Degrees is Treehugger’s top choice for corporations because of the broad range of sustainability services and tailored approach to carbon offsets. Carbon Offset Project Types Carbon offsets purchased through TerraPass support our portfolio of projects in communities around the United States. In most cases, these activities are undertaken as discrete “projects.” A carbon offset project, for example, may involve: Projects can range in scale from very small (e.g., reducing a few hundred tonnes of CO2e per year) to very large (e.g., millions of tonnes reduced per year). Since 2007, STI has helped individuals and businesses offset almost 380,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions. Types of carbon offset projects. The Best Offset Projects in the World We proudly host a diverse portfolio of carbon offset projects from around the world, including Brazil, China, India, Panama, and The United States. One challenge is that the types of projects that make for higher-quality carbon offsets tend to be those with the fewest co-benefits – and vice versa (see Sticking to lower-risk project types). Each Standard has a particular set of rules or “protocols” that sets out how carbon credits will be assigned to different types of projects based on various criteria. Currently, there are three different project types that are eligible to produce carbon offsets; afforestation or reforestation, avoided conversion, and improved forest management (IFM) (Table 1). However, it’s important to choose a reputable company to ensure your money goes to a certified carbon offset project. These carbon offsets then go to support Quality Assurance Standard (QAS) certified projects like improving the efficiency of cookstoves and developing hydroelectric plants, wastewater treatment plants, and sources of clean energy. Carbon offset projects focus on carbon reduction and carbon removal and include everything from sustainable forestry to livestock manure management, landfill gas, and industrial processes. Forests … [2] See, for example, Verra’s framework for Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ programs. In fact, Aviva worked with ClimateCare to apply the London Benchmarking Group’s framework to their carbon offset portfolio and demonstrated that their investment in two carbon offset projects had not only offset carbon … Energy Efficiency . Our Carbonfree® Partner Program is an innovative, affordable and flexible way to help your business calculate, reduce and offset your carbon … Like the other carbon offset programs on our list, myclimate only supports carbon offset projects that are independently certified by the Clean Development Mechanism, Gold Standard, or Plan Vivo. Myclimate is our top pick for offsetting the carbon footprint of your home and lets users calculate the footprint of their household, cars, events, and travel-related activities. And Sustainable Travel International (STI) earned the title of best air travel for specializing in conscious business practices. Plus, these platforms connect users with important projects like reforestation efforts and renewable energy development in communities across the planet. This makes 3Degrees a better option for businesses that are interested in large offsets and that want to take advantage of other available sustainability services. Forest carbon, through carbon-credit offset markets, provides an opportunity for landowners to be compensated for making long-term commitments to storing carbon on their lands. For that reason, we chose carbon offset programs that work with third-party certified projects. Plus, all of the carbon offset funds go to projects that are certified by the Gold Standard, Verified Carbon Standard, the Climate Action Reserve, or the American Carbon Registry. They are provided as information only to help inform our customers about where and how Carbon Offsets … Our portfolio of carbon offset projects focuses on high quality using Certified Emission Reductions (CERs), Gold Standard CERs, Gold Standard Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) and Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) certified credits. To protect customers, the best carbon offset programs only work with projects that are certified by third-party organizations. Why it's a fit for Treehugger: We love that, in addition to purchasing carbon offsets to reduce greenhouse gases, you can buy renewable energy credits that support clean energy and water restoration certificates that help restore freshwater ecosystems. https://thereserve2.apx.com/myModule/rpt/myrpt.asp?r=112, http://marketplace.conservationregistry.org/assets/0000/9984/Pungo_River_project_Verification_Report.pdf, https://thereserve2.apx.com/mymodule/reg/prjView.asp?id1=686, https://thereserve2.apx.com/mymodule/reg/prjView.asp?id1=621, https://thereserve2.apx.com/mymodule/reg/prjView.asp?id1=416, https://thereserve2.apx.com/mymodule/reg/prjView.asp?id1=891, https://thereserve2.apx.com/mymodule/reg/prjView.asp?id1=639. Forestry . Carbon offset programs let individuals and businesses offset their environmental footprint by paying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere. Carbon offsets are investments in projects that reduce or avoid carbon emissions, or that sequester (capture and store) carbon that has already been emitted. – including: reforestation, land restoration, forest protection and sustainable land management. The project types described below represent the diversity of projects that could make up BEF's Carbon Offset portfolio. In addition to providing energy and climate consulting services, 3Degrees helps business owners purchase and sell carbon offsets. While this may sound complicated, the programs on our list make it easy by offering user-friendly calculators and seamless online transactions. Instead, you can request a detailed quote that’s based on your goals and budget. Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our Forestry Projects. View our portfolio and learn more about what our projects do. TerraPass Project Portfolio includes the following project types To calculate the carbon footprint of your home, provide details about the house’s size, heating methods, and power consumption. Typically, when someone buys a carbon offset, the money goes to pay for a reduction in greenhouse gases that has already occurred. This was the first time it sold carbon offsets (also known as carbon credits) to help finance one of its projects. Offset projects can vary greatly in terms of their size, the methodology they use and where they are located. For example, if you travel 10 miles per day on a local bus for a total of 220 days a year, Clear lets you offset the resulting 0.92 tons of CO2 emissions for about $12.25. review process here. They range from forestry sequestration projects (in which carbon credits are gained for the CO2 … The table below presents select project types and provides a snapshot of the project’s size, geographic location and number of projects of that type (as of 2013). While projects supported by 3Degrees vary, they must all meet extensive criteria and are third-party verified by Climate Action Reserve, American Carbon Registry, Gold Standard, or Verified Carbon Standard. Waste-to-energy. Type … The key one to be aware of, however, is the Gold Standard (GS, or GS VERs). Because of that, STI’s carbon offset program is dialed into the sustainable travel industry and is dedicated to helping individuals fund certified carbon offset programs. [1] Such “programs” were pioneered under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism; see here. Learn More. 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