Carbon offsetting solutions for you and your business.
Carbon offsetting allows individuals and businesses to counteract greenhouse gas emissions emitted through lifestyle and operational choices by reducing emissions somewhere else. By purchasing carbon offsets, an individual or business compensates for their emissions and effectively reduces their carbon footprint. Carbon offset credits are then invested into projects in fields such as renewable energy, forest management, landfill gas capture, carbon-free nuclear, water conservation, and more.
While reducing your carbon footprint is ideal, it’s impossible to completely eliminate greenhouse gas-emitting activities from your home or business entirely. Carbon offsetting empowers you to mitigate the impact of unavoidable carbon emissions through monetary contributions. Contributions oftentimes help close funding gaps for projects that drive the expansion of things like renewable energy infrastructure. By contributing to a carbon offsetting program, you are not only reducing your carbon footprint but also acting as a catalyst for a greener future by investing in green technologies and actions.
Focus: Construction of new projects
Whether a business or just an individual looking to offset carbon emissions, NativeEnergy offers practical and efficient ways to tackle climate change while fostering the growth of renewable energies through their trademarked Help Build program. The Help Buildprogram helps offset carbon emissions from new projects before any emissions occur. Upfront funding helps close funding gaps that stall projects to help them move forward while making sure that carbon offsetting techniques throughout the project are being used. Individuals and businesses can use NativeEnergy’s carbon footprint calculator to quantify greenhouse gas emissions. The calculator utilizes internationally accepted methods to help generate a number. Once carbon offsets are purchased, the calculations are run through third-party verification to ensure that offsetting ensues.
Sustainable Travel International
Focus: Travel & Tourism
The business model for Sustainable Travel International is to support travel and tourism industries in vulnerable areas while helping with sustainable initiatives. According to the program, approximately 8% of the world’s carbon emissions come from the tourism industry, which makes it a large catalyst for climate change. Each time that an individual travels, they are generating carbon emissions through the fuel burned on the flight, transportation, and more. Sustainable Travel International allows companies and individuals to purchase carbon offset credits which are in turn invested into certified carbon offsetting projects. Examples of projects include wind farms, planting trees, and more.
Focus: Solar
Green Mountain Energy is set to balance the impact of carbon emissions with carbon offsets. The program adheres to high standards and is supported by over 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry. The Green-e Climate certification program is a third-party global leader in carbon offsetting programs that are sourced by Green Mountain Energy. Instead of an internal carbon footprint calculator, Green Mountain Energy allows for the EPA’s Carbon Footprint Calculator to be used which increases transparency. Examples of carbon offsets for purchase include travel packages, commuter packages, lifestyle packages, and more.
Focus: Electricity, Natural Gas, Renewable Energies, Carbon Reduction
Whether a family in the suburbs, a small local business, or a mega-corporation, WGL Energy has carbon offsetting solutions for everyone. Founded in 1996, WGL Energy understands the value of a dollar and is committed to supporting sustainable initiatives with a budget-conscious approach. For each carbon offset purchased, a portion of the proceeds goes towards their Carbon Reduction Fund which ultimately helps new projects reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The Carbon Reduction Fund is focused on improving air and water quality in Chesapeake Bay.
Focus: Education
The myclimate program takes a grass-roots approach by empowering companies, teachers, and parents alike to become educators that will help shape the future of carbon emissions for the better. The program makes it simple to calculate carbon offset no matter the source of emissions. Whether a flight, commute by car, a vacation cruise, or even a business activity, the myclimate calculator makes it easy. A portion of carbon offsets goes towards education projects such as training for teachers and young innovators. There is also a job board posted to put individuals in touch with companies that support the mission.
Focus: Climate Change
Cool Effects set out to make purchasing carbon offsets as simple as possible. Their in-house calculator helps identify the footprint of both business operations and individual emissions within minutes. The program estimates that each American generates a total of 16.6 tonnes of carbon per year. Cool Effect makes it possible to offset 1 tonne for just $9.02. The program verifies that carbon is truly offset through a rigorous process of sourcing trustworthy projects. It operates as a crowdfunding platform.
Focus: Nature, Climate Change, Waste & Pollution
Clear is the most reliable carbon offsetting solution in the world thanks to its strict vetting process of projects. Carbon offsetting has grown to become a ‘catch word’ to allow companies to emit greenhouse gasses without the guilt, all while the carbon offsetting solution fails to get the job done. It’s become a greenwashing industry. That won’t happen at Clear thanks to their high standards as demonstrated by their Certified Emission Reduction certification and Gold Standard VERs. Despite going the extra mile to assure that carbon offsetting is actually occurring, the prices are fair and affordable, and packages are offered to both individuals and businesses.
Focus: Forest Management
ClearSky Climate Solutions focuses on designing and developing market-based carbon projects that tackle issues such as deforestation. Forests act as the lungs of the earth. Through forest conservation, ClearSky Climate Solutions offsets carbon dioxide emissions and other forest-degrading activities that happen as a result of business operations or individual choices. ClearSky Climate Solutions also helps tackle emissions at the source by offering workshops, conferences, and training programs throughout the year.
Focus: Renewable Energies
Whether big or small, companies are starting to realize that going green makes sense from a business standpoint. Individuals are also starting to realize that they can make conscious decisions that are both economical and eco-friendly. This is where Sterling Planet comes in. Sterling Planet is the largest residential retailer of renewable energies in the world. Its trademarked White Tags certificate represents a whopping one megawatt-hour in energy reduction. The program is designed to help businesses and homeowners conserve energy while turning towards renewable energies from the sun, wind, water, and even plants. Carbon offset programs also promote the collection of greenhouse gas emissions.
Focus: Air Travel
The atmosfair program offers corporate services that revolve around air travel. It works with climate-friendly tour operators and agencies to make travel as carbon-friendly as possible. Unlike other carbon offsetting solutions, atmosfair works with corporations upfront to make conscious travel decisions whereas other carbon offsetting solutions offer guilt-free and mindless travel. It offers carbon offsetting such as compensation for flight and other CO2 emissions while supporting the green energy transition. Atmosfair is transparent with its annual reports and has a strict approval process and follows high-quality industry standards.
Focus: Industrial activities
3Degrees focuses strictly on carbon offsetting for businesses that are targeted towards their operations. It helps businesses decarbonize their emissions while offering carbon offsets for purchase. All carbon offset projects are third-party verified. 3Degrees was founded in 2007 on the premise that businesses must do their part in relieving the global climate crisis. Since then, it endorsed the first voluntary community solar program in the United States. It’s also been a part of some of the oldest renewable natural gas transactions in the country. Sustainability within its own operations is represented by its subsidized public transportation costs for employees and its purchase of water restoration credits to cover the footprint of its own business.
Focus: Everything
Terrapass is well known in the carbon offsetting world as a one-stop shop. There are ways to get involved as an individual, a small business, all the way up to a mega-corporation. Terrapass specializes in tracking virtually every carbon-emitting or polluting activity that you can think of. It then calculates your total footprint and offers flexible and affordable carbon offsetting solutions. Terrapass even has a calculation for the food that you eat and corresponding offsetting solutions. They go as far as allowing the user to plan greenhouse gas emitting events and pre-purchase offsets. From sustainable living, to small business plans, to corporate sustainability plans, Terrapass does it all.
Focus: Renewable energy certificates & water restoration certificates
BEF Carbon Mix offers a variety of ways to authentically engage stakeholders into balancing their carbon footprint through education, access to renewable energies, and water stewardship. BEF is more focused on certifying your business in areas such as renewable energy and water restoration in hopes that it enhances a brand’s equity. In short, BEF is taking full advantage of the green to be made by certifying your business as a green entity.
Focus: Energy distribution
The Southern Company is consistently ranked amongst America’s Best Large Employers by Forbes magazine. They serve over 9 million customers through its subsidiaries as a gas and electric utility holding company. Southern Company provides clean and reliable electricity as well as natural gas to wholesale customers throughout the United States. They are also a leader in fiber optics and telecommunication services. Notably, Southern Company has been paving the way for building a network of energy infrastructure that gives businesses access to carbon offsetting renewable energies. They have their foot in the water in carbon-free nuclear, carbon capture, energy storage, and much more.
Carbon Offsets to Relieve Poverty
Focus: Poverty
Carbon Offsets to Alleviate Poverty, otherwise known as COTAP, is a 501(C)3 public charity. All contributions are tax-deductible and 90% of contributions go directly to projects. Projects are mainly in developing countries in areas where the money empowers impoverished communities to tackle climate change issues as well as poverty itself. COTAP offsets your carbon emissions through certified forest management projects which translate to life-changing earnings for impoverished communities. COTAP is incredibly transparent with how the funds are spent and have nothing to hide, as demonstrated by their years of clean annual reports.
Focus: Retail
Carbon Checkout is a software app that can be downloaded on your smartphone to help you offset the carbon emitted through retail shopping. With over 2,000 eCommerce partners, Carbon Checkout gives individuals the opportunity to see how their purchase impacts climate change. When checking out to purchase an item, Carbon Checkout offers the opportunity to add carbon offsetting to the total cost to give you a guilt-free shopping experience. Retailers and customers both benefit from this app. Offsetting solutions include wind power and landfill gas capture.
Focus: Packaging & Fleet
GreenPrint offers both custom programs and branded products to help offset carbon footprint as it relates to packaging, freight, and fleet. Their branded products look to affordably reduce plastic waste, carbon emissions, and water waste while providing access to renewable energy. GreenPrint’s turnkey approach allows businesses to be up and running with a sustainability program within 90 days without having to augment supply chain or tarnish vendor relationships. Customized programs include retail fuel emission reductions, fleet financing programs, packaging and consumer products, renewable energy access, and sustainability consulting.
Focus: Planting Trees
As trees provide the air that we breathe, they are threatened across the globe which in turn threatens our way of life. To combat this, the Ann Arbor Foundation launched its Time for Trees initiative which sets out to clean up our air by planting trees. Founded in 1972, the Ann Arbor Foundation is the largest 501(C)3 nonprofit organization on earth that is focused solely on planting trees. The foundation boasts over 350 million trees planted since its inception in the suburbs, cities, and throughout the world. They believe that a simple solution like planting more trees will result in a greener tomorrow that improves water quality, air quality, poverty, and even world hunger.
Focus: Conservation
With a focus on conserving our natural resources, the Conservation Fund homes in on conservation as it applies to our land, water, wildlife, food, forests, climate, and even finances. Its programs include business partnerships, mitigation solutions, conservation acquisitions and leadership networks, conservation loans, working farms funds, and much more. Since 1985 the Conservation Fund has protected over 8 million acres of land across all 50 states in the USA. In 2014, the Conservation Fund received a prestigious award from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, which signifies its confidence that the lands owned by the Conservation Fund will be protected forever.
Focus: Sustainable development
With over 20 years of experience, Natural Capital Partners has grown an extensive network of partners to deliver high-quality solutions that deliver value to businesses through environmental programs. They have partnered with over 350 projects in 32 countries to help reduce carbon emissions and foster the demand for renewable energies. Natural Capital Partners offers carbon offsetting solutions, carbon neutrality solutions, project development assistance, access to renewable energy, and net-zero consulting. The program was voted Best Offset Retailer for ten years in a row by Environmental Finance.
The myriad of carbon offsetting solution programs on this list is meant to educate you on the many different types of carbon offsetting solutions available on the market. It’s important to choose a carbon offsetting solution that fits within your own vision and mission. Each carbon offsetting solution on this list has been vetted for legitimacy and activity.
Further reading: Our Free Green Resources library