Carbon offsets are one way to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and mitigate climate change. There are many companies that currently offer carbon offset subscriptions, but not all are created equal. And some are far from being effective. So we had to ask: What are the best carbon offset subscriptions?

The best carbon offset subscriptions in terms of overall impact are GoClimate, Terrapass, Offset Alliance, and myclimate. Climeworks is the most expensive but also most effective carbon offset subscription.

Keep reading to learn more about the best carbon offset subscriptions, how these carbon offset projects work, what their respective offsetting costs are, and what your best way would be to offset your carbon emissions. At the end of the article, we’ll also share with you what the biggest carbon offsetting limitations are and why reducing your carbon footprint is more effective than offsetting it.

Here’s What All the Best Carbon Offset Subscriptions Have in Common

Carbon offsets are reductions in carbon emissions that are used to compensate for carbon emissions occurring elsewhere. They are measured in tons of CO₂ equivalents and are bought and sold through international brokers, online retailers, and trading platforms on what is known as the global carbon offset market. 

“Carbon Offset: a way for a company or person to reduce the level of carbon dioxide for which they are responsible by paying money to a company that works to reduce the total amount produced in the world, for example by planting trees”

Oxford Dictionary

When you purchase carbon offset subscriptions, it’s important that they actually make a difference in total carbon emissions. To achieve that, the following are key criteria:

• Carbon offset projects have to be effective (different projects have different effectiveness rates)
• Carbon offset projects have to be additional
• Carbon offset projects have to be permanent
• The claims from carbon offset projects have to be verifiable

(For a full overview, check out our guide on how to choose carbon offset projects that actually make a difference.)

These Are the Best Carbon Offset Subscriptions in 2024

Below are our favorite carbon offset subscriptions (you can click on their link to directly jump to their section in this article):

Climeworks: The Leader in Direct CO₂ Removal 

Climeworks, a DAC company in Zurich, Switzerland, is the leader in the CO₂ removal game. It was founded in 2009 by engineering university students Jan and Christoph, who were shocked at the melting glaciers in the Swiss Alps. Climeworks’ mission is to inspire one billion people to remove CO₂ from the air and reverse climate change.

“Let’s reverse climate change”

Climeworks

Project overview: The Climeworks specialized machines take CO₂ from the air, mix it with water, and pump it deep underground. Through the process of natural mineralization, the captured CO₂ is turned to stone. Since its inception in 2017, Climeworks has built 15 DAC machines and switched on the world’s first large-scale plant back in 2021. For every 100 tons of CO₂ captured from the air, 90 tons are permanently removed, and only up to 10 tons are re-emitted by the DAC machines.

Carbon offset effectiveness: Climeworks offsets are permanent, measurable, natural, and efficient. 

Carbon offset costs: Climeworks offers 3 monthly subscriptions which remove either 30, 50, or 100kg of CO₂ at a cost of $1.20 per 1kg of CO₂ removed. In addition, they also offer the option to select your preferred monthly of CO₂ that you’d like to offset.

How to get your carbon offsets: Climeworks offers the standard 3 fixed monthly subscriptions and also provides a slider further down the page to choose a different monthly amount.

GoClimate: Fighting Climate Change

GoClimate is a social enterprise founded in 2017 with the mission of slowing climate change. They calculate your emissions, support you in reducing them, and offer a subscription service for contributing to certified climate projects. Since their inception they have contributed to the avoidance of over 733 thousand tonnes (808 thousand tons) of CO₂.

“Together we can save the climate!”

GoClimate

Carbon offset overview: GoClimate provides the option to purchase a carbon offset monthly subscription. Purchases currently support a water filter project in Indonesia, a geothermal energy project in Sumatra, and a landfill gas recovery project in Colombia. Previously, GoClimate has supported other renewable energy, cookstoves, and methane recovery projects in Chile, China, India, Aruba, Brazil, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Rwanda.

Carbon offset effectiveness: GoClimate uses the Gold Standard to help ensure transparency and quality in the creation, quantification, and verification of offset projects.

Carbon offset costs: It costs approximately $16.99 per 1,000kg of CO₂ offset. 

How to get your carbon offsets: For their monthly subscription, GoClimate first asks you questions about your location, electricity usage, diet, shopping methods, and car and plane travel. They then calculate your carbon footprint for you and even break it down according to those categories. 

Terrapass: Carbon Offsets for Individuals and Businesses

Terrapass is an organization that has been providing carbon offsets to individuals and businesses since 2004. In 2020, Terrapass customers offset roughly the same amount of carbon as planting 7 million trees. Their mission is to fight climate change by reducing as many carbon emissions as possible via the use of education, online tools, carbon offsets, and renewable energy. 

“Restore the balance”

Terrapass

Carbon offset overview: Terrapass offers a carbon-balanced living plan, a monthly subscription which factors in the number of people in your household, the number of cars you own, and how many flights you take annually. Purchases help fund carbon offset projects including farm power, landfill gas capture, clean energy from wind power, and abandoned coal mine methane capture. 

Carbon offset effectiveness: Terrapass uses the Verified Carbon Standard, Gold Standard, American Carbon Registry, and the Climate Action Reserve to help ensure transparency and quality in the creation, quantification, and verification of offset projects.

Carbon offset costs: The carbon-balanced living plan starts at $8.34/month but depends on the number of people in your household, the number of cars you own, and how many flights you take annually. It costs approximately $17 to offset 1,000kg of CO₂. 

How to get your carbon offsets: Visit their carbon-balanced living plan webpage to enter your information and customize accordingly.

Ecologi: Where Carbon Reduction Partners With Tree Planting 

Ecologi was founded in 2019 in Bristol, United Kingdom when CEO and cofounder Elliot Coad was driving to work and thought, “How much climate action could I fund with the money for a coffee?” Through Ecologi, you can offset your carbon footprint through verified carbon offsets, and a certain number of trees are also planted so they can sequester carbon once they mature.

“For less than the cost of a cup of coffee per week you can become climate positive”

Ecologi

Project overview: Ecologi offset projects include, but are not limited to, forest restoration, renewable energy, clean cookstoves, and clean drinking water. When you purchase carbon offsets through Ecologi, trees are planted as a bonus, because it takes years for trees to mature and sequester carbon in large quantities. 

Carbon offset effectiveness: Ecologi uses the Verified Carbon Standard and the Gold Standard to help ensure transparency and quality in the creation, quantification, and verification of offset projects. They also have tree planting partners who are able to responsibly plant millions of trees a month on their behalf. These partners include Eden Reforestation Projects, One Tree Planted, and Trees for the Future, all of which are included in our list of the Best Charities for Planting Trees.

Carbon offset costs: With Ecologi you get 2 options, a personal offset plan where you choose how many trees get planted (12, 24, or 48) for a price ($10.50, $21, or $42 per month), and a family plan where you enter the number of adults, children, and pets and they calculate a personalized plan for your situation. It costs approximately $6.04 per 1,000 kg of CO₂ offset. 

How to get your carbon offsets: Visit their website to select your personal plan or create your family plan. And if you scroll further down you can plant 1 extra tree in the United States for only $1.20 per month. Ecologi even has an interactive google sheet where you can check when, where, and how many trees are planted through their platform.

CarbonClick: Meeting the Highest Standards of Social and Environmental Impact

CarbonClick is a New Zealand-based environmental company that has since spread to the United States, Ireland, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Their mission is to make climate action simple and transparent for both customers and businesses, through projects that support the planet and humanity. To date, they have offset over 38 million kg of CO₂ through various projects.

“We exist to reverse climate change”

CarbonClick

Carbon offset overview: CarbonClick has a unique approach to carbon offsetting. The offsets you purchase are automatically sourced from a number of projects, depending on your geographical location. After fees are deducted, 50% of the remaining amount is allocated to local flagship forest regeneration or conservation projects, and 50% goes towards high-impact, international clean energy projects. For example, if you live in the US then your money will support forestry in Alaska, wind power in South Dakota, and improved cooking practices in Nigeria.

Carbon offset effectiveness: CarbonClick offsets are additional and adhere to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Carbon offset costs: CarbonClick offers 4 monthly subscriptions which offset either 9, 15, 30, or 61 thousand kg of CO₂ per year at a cost of approximately $20 per 1,000kg of CO₂ offset. 

How to get your carbon offsets: Visit their webpage to view their 4 monthly subscription options. You can also choose to which basket of projects you want to contribute (i.e., Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, United States, or Global Impact).

Wren: Your All-In-One Climate Subscription

Wren is a climate conscious company formulated to be your on-ramp to climate action. To date they have offset over 160 thousand tons of CO₂ in 4 countries.Their mission is to help reverse the climate crisis. 

“Climate change is the largest crisis humanity has ever faced. But we can fix it.”

Wren

Carbon offset overview: Wren has a carbon footprint calculator that takes into account your location, diet, transportation, energy usage, clothes, and pets to calculate your footprint in tons of CO₂ per year. Based on this information they calculate 3 different carbon offset subscriptions that support biochar in California, tree planting in Kenya, mineral weathering in Scotland, clean cookstoves in Uganda, and tech-enabled Amazon Rainforest protection projects in Peru. 

Carbon offset effectiveness: Wren’s carbon offsets are permanent, additional, only counted once, and based on peer-reviewed science.

Carbon offset costs: Wren offers 3 monthly subscription options which cost approximately $19.80 per 1,000kg of CO₂ offset. You can also choose the custom plan option and enter any monetary amount. 

How to get your carbon offsets: Visit their website to choose one of their 3 carbon offset subscriptions or contribute via a custom plan.

Offset Alliance: High Impact Climate Action

Offset Alliance is a designated Woman Owned Small Business founded in 2019 with the aim of addressing climate change and having a positive impact on local and global communities. Their mission is to make measurable and meaningful climate action simple. 

“Meaningful climate action made simple”

Offset Alliance

Carbon offset overview: Offset Alliance offers carbon offset subscriptions that support reforestation in Zimbabwe and Alaska, clean energy in Costa Rica, short grass prairie protection in Colorado, and sawdust to energy operations in Chile.

Carbon offset effectiveness: Offset Alliance uses the Verified Carbon Standard, Gold Standard, American Carbon Registry and the Climate Action Reserve to help ensure transparency and quality in the creation, quantification, and verification of offset projects. They are also third-party verified and adhere to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Carbon offset costs: Offset Alliance offers 3 monthly subscriptions which offset either 8,700, 17,400, or 35,900 kg of CO₂ per year at a cost of $12.41 per 1,000kg of CO₂ offset. 

How to get your carbon offsets: Visit their webpage to choose a monthly carbon offset subscription.

Native: Taking Action to Slow Climate Change

Native Energy was founded in 2000 and has been helping companies make their sustainability visions a reality since then. Their mission is to deliver investment solutions that create sustainable value for clients and communities.

“Envision your ideal climate solution. Let us build it.”

Native

Carbon offset overview: Their HelpBuild^TM carbon offsets bridge the gap between the funding and building phases. You purchase offsets from the project in advance, so you therefore play a key role in funding its construction. This enables the project to cut greenhouse gas pollution on your behalf for years to come. Purchasing a carbon offset subscription with Native supports the Medford Spring Grassland Conservation Project, a biodiversity, wildlife protection, and carbon sequestration project in Colorado, United States. 

Carbon offset effectiveness: Native’s offsets are permanent, additional, third-party verified, and validated to one of the following standards: Verified Carbon Standard, Gold Standard, American Carbon Registry, Climate Action Reserve, Plan Vivo, and the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance to help ensure transparency and quality in the creation, quantification, and verification of offset projects.

Carbon offset costs: Native offers monthly, quarterly, or annual subscriptions that cost $15.50 per 1,000kg of CO₂ offset. 

How to get your carbon offsets: You can either support the Grassland Conservation project directly or use their carbon footprint calculator. 

myclimate: Shaping the Future

myclimate is an international, Swiss-based initiative that is one of the world’s leaders in voluntary carbon compensation measures. They work with small, medium, and large companies, public administrations, non-profit organizations, and private individuals to provide high-quality projects with quantifiable climate protection. Their mission is to be a partner for global and local climate protection and to shape the future of the world through advisory services and educational programs.

“myclimate is your partner for effective climate protection – locally and globally”

Myclimate

Carbon offset overview: myclimate provides a carbon offset subscription. Purchases fund offset projects including energy efficiency, forestry, waste management, renewable energy. Some examples include efficient cookstoves in the Himalayas, forest management in Switzerland, and hydropower in Vietnam. They currently have 144 voluntary carbon offset projects in 41 countries. 

Carbon offset effectiveness: myclimate uses the Gold Standard, VCS, or Plan Vivo to help ensure transparency and quality in the creation, quantification, and verification of offset projects. Their projects also adhere to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Carbon offset costs: myclimate offers monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and annual subscriptions that cost approximately $23 per 1,000kg of CO₂. 

How to get your carbon offsets: Visit their website to view their carbon offset subscription options.

How to Choose Carbon Offset Projects Actually Make a Difference

The following information is a summary for you based on our full guide: “How to Buy Carbon Offsets That Actually Make a Difference”

Purchase carbon offset projects with high effectiveness rates. The offset programs in order of most to least effective are:

If – and only if – they are both additional and permanent, carbon offsets can help reduce your overall GHG emissions to balance off your personal carbon footprint to fight climate change – at least in the short term. But they can be much more effective if they meet certain key criteria and project standards.

Here are key criteria to look for in a carbon offset program:

• A clearly defined protocol that determines which types of projects are eligible and how emission reductions will be measured

• Independent third-party verification of compliance with the protocol

• Registration of offsets in an offset registry, which tracks each credit with a unique serial number to ensure it is only used once 

• Transparency in project implementation and reporting 

If used correctly, carbon offsets can provide environmental, economic, and social benefits that go beyond reducing carbon emissions. They have the potential to instigate meaningful environmental change and begin to reverse some of the effects of climate change. 

Carbon offset project standards assure transparency and quality in the creation, quantification, and verification of offset projects. This way you can ensure that the project is actually reducing CO₂ emissions. The following are recognized carbon offset standards:

• Verified Carbon Standard (VCS): Considered the world’s leading voluntary GHG program, with 1700+ projects having removed 630+ million tons of CO₂ from the atmosphere. Examples of projects include hydropower in Turkey, forest conservation in Peru, and landfill gas capture in China.

• Gold Standard: A certification that seeks to maximize every dollar of climate and development funding. It has issued 134 million carbon credits from 1700+ projects based in more than 80 different countries. Examples of projects include solar power in India, efficient cooking and heating in China, and wind power in Indonesia.

• Climate Action Reserve (CAR): The premier carbon offset registry for the North American carbon market having issued over 150 million offset credits since its inception in 2001. Examples of projects include landfill gas capture in South Carolina and forest management in California.

• American Carbon Registry (ACR): The first private voluntary GHG registry in the world. Examples of projects include ozone-depleting substances in Arkansas and methane capture from mines in Kentucky.

Choosing carbon offset projects from any of the above project standard registries helps ensure that your project is verified and that it actually reduces CO₂ emissions.

What Are the Biggest Carbon Offsetting Limitations

In fact, there are 9 main carbon offsetting limitations that can make the current voluntary carbon market controversial and lead to confusion, inconsistencies, and a general distrust of the system. Have a look at the quick summary table below.

You can check out the full article here: “What Are the Biggest Carbon Offsetting Limitations? (All 9 Explained)”

Why Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Is More Effective Than Offsetting It

The main argument against carbon offsets is that they don’t really reduce overall emissions. Instead of substituting offsetting carbon emissions, we should instead cut the emissions directly at the source. Basically, if we stop emissions from getting into the atmosphere in the first place, we won’t have to worry about offsetting. But have we done this? Have we cut emissions directly at the source? The data says no.  

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the largest decrease in energy-related carbon emissions since World War II, a decrease of 2 billion tons. However, emissions rebounded quickly at the end of 2020, with levels in December ending 60 million tons higher than those in December 2019. This indicates that the earth is still warming at an accelerated rate, and not enough is being done to implement clean energy practices. 

When you buy a carbon offset, you are paying someone else to cut their emissions so you don’t have to cut your own emissions. This is why offsetting alone will not be enough to reduce global carbon emissions.

Carbon offsets are a good place to start if you want to get into the carbon-emission reduction game, but in order to be effective in the long term, we must not rely on them solely. Cutting emissions from the source and then offsetting the remainder is the best way to reduce our carbon footprint and provide the highest environmental benefits. If we fail to cut emissions first, we will fill up our carbon sinks and render them unusable. Preventing carbon emissions rather than reacting once they are already emitted is the best way to reduce overall emissions.

Carbon offsets reduce GHG emissions from coal, oil, and natural gas. Reducing your consumption of these, in turn, reduces your carbon footprint, which has huge impacts on environmental, economic, and public health. A reduced carbon footprint due to lower GHG emissions can mitigate the effects of climate change, improve public health, boost the economy, and maintain plant and animal diversity.

• Climate change: Reducing your carbon footprint plays a role in mitigating the side effects of global climate change. The more we reduce the amount of GHG emissions, the more we slow the rate of temperature rise, sea-level rise, ice melting, and ocean acidification.

• Public health: Reducing GHG emissions lessens the likelihood and severity of extreme weather events, improves air and water quality, maintains biodiversity, and supports a healthy food supply.

• Economics: Reducing GHG boosts the economy, especially when it becomes economically rewarding to innovate solutions that help protect our planet, fight climate change, and are based on clean energy.

• Plant and animal diversity: Protecting biodiversity protects human health because many plants and animals are used in modern medicines

Carbon offsets have the potential to instigate meaningful environmental change, but to make the greatest impact we must understand both their benefits AND drawbacks. 

You can find out all about it in our article “Can You Really Offset Your Carbon Footprint? Here Are the Facts”

Final Thoughts

Climeworks, GoClimate, Terrapass, Ecologi, CarbonClick, Wren, Offset Alliance, Native, and myclimate have the best carbon offset subscription options. They are third-party verified, permanent, additional, use the leading carbon offset standards, and adhere to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

However, carbon offsets should not be seen or used as a panacea for climate change. First, we should reduce our own carbon footprint as much as possible, and only then should we choose the most effective carbon offset project for subscriptions. When used in conjunction with direct CO2 reduction measures, carbon offsetting can be much more effective in the long term.

Stay impactful,

Sources

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Offsets and RECs -What’s the Difference?
• Britannica: Carbon Offset
• David Suzuki Foundation: Are carbon offsets the answer to climate-altering flights?
• Impactful Ninja: How to Buy Carbon Offsets That Actually Make a Difference (Complete 2022 Guide)
• Climeworks: Homepage
• Climeworks: Direct air capture to help reverse climate change
• Climeworks: Reverse climate change by removing CO2 from the air
• Climeworks: Subscription
• GoClimate: Homepage
• GoClimate: About Us
• GoClimate: Flights
• GoClimate: Our Climate Projects
• Gold Standard: Homepage
• GoClimate: Calculate YourCarbon Footprint
• Terrapass: Homepage
• Terrapass: About Terrapass
• Terrapass: Balanced Living Plan
• Terrapass: Personal Carbon Offsets
• Verra: Homepage
• American Carbon Registry: Homepage
• Climate Action Reserve: About Us
• Ecologi: Homepage
• Ecologi: Reforestation and Carbon Offsetting Projects
• Eden Reforestation Projects: Homepage
• One Tree Planted: Homepage
• Trees for the Future: Homepage
• Impactful Ninja: 9 Best Charities for Reforestation
• Ecologi: Plan
• Ecologi: Ecologi Public Impact & Operations Ledger
• CarbonClick: Homepage
• CarbonClick: About
• CarbonClick: Carbon Offset
• United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs: The 17 Goals
• Wren: Homepage
• Wren: Calculate Your Footprint
• Wren: About Us
• Wren: Our Projects
• Wren: Your Carbon Footprint
• Offset Alliance: Homepage
• Offset Alliance: About Offset Alliance
• Offset Alliance: Carbon Offsets
• Offset Alliance: Carbon Offsets Monthly Subscription
• Native: Homepage
• Native: Our Mission
• Native: Medford Spring Grassland Conservation
• Plan Vivo: Homepage
• The Climate, Community, Biodiversity Alliance: Homepage
• Native: Buy Carbon Offsets and Reduce Your Carbon Emissions
• Native: Travel, Household and Events Carbon Offset Calculator
• myclimate: Homepage
• myclimate: About myclimate
• myclimate: Carbon Offset Subscriptions
• Natural Resources Defense Council: Carbon Offsets 101
• Terrapass: Project Standards
• Verra: Verified Carbon Standard
• Verra: Tepekisla Dam & Hydropower Plant Project
• Verra: The Jaguar Amazon Redd+ Project
• Verra: Sanya Landfill Gas Power Generation Project
• Gold Standard: Gold Standard Impact
• Climate Action Reserve: About Us
• Climate Action Reserve: Registry
• Climate Action Reserve: Bluesource – Berkeley County Landfill Gas Project
• Climate Action Reserve: Buckeye Forest Project
• American Carbon Registry: Our Mission
• American Carbon Registry: Registry
• American Carbon Registry: EOS Climate ODS destruction
• American Carbon Registry: Baker Mine AMM
• Impactful Ninja: What Are the Biggest Carbon Offsetting Limitations? (All 9 Explained)
• GreenPeace: The biggest problem with carbon offsetting is that it doesn’t really work
• International Energy Agency: After steep drop in early 2020, global carbon dioxide emissions have rebounded strongly
• Our World in Data: Annual total CO₂ emissions
• Impactful Ninja: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Coal Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
• Impactful Ninja: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Oil Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
• Impactful Ninja: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Natural Gas? A Life-Cycle Assessment
• Impactful Ninja: 4 Main Reasons Why Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Is Important
• National Wildlife Federation: Climate Change
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: Health Impacts of Climate
• Carbon Tax Center: What’s a Carbon Tax?
• World Health Organization: Biodiversity and Health
• Impactful Ninja: Can You Really Offset Your Carbon Footprint? Here Are the Facts