10 Best Carbon Offsets for Large Businesses (Complete 2024 List)

10 Best Carbon Offsets for Large Businesses (Complete 2024 List)

By
Grace Smoot

Read Time:21 Minutes

CLICK TO
SUBSCRIBE

follow follow

Impactful Ninja is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Learn more .

Affiliate Disclosure

Hey fellow impactful ninja ?

You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.

  • Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.

  • But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.

Why do we add these product links?

First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.

And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.

What do these affiliate links mean for you?
  1. First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.

  2. When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.

  3. And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.

What do these affiliate links mean for us?
  1. When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.

  2. When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).

  3. And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.

What does this mean for me personally?

You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.

Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.

Stay impactful,

There are over 213 million businesses worldwide that help drive our global economy. But these businesses are also responsible for a large amount of carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. So, we had to ask: What are the best carbon offsets for medium & large businesses?

The best carbon offsets for medium and large businesses are Terrapass, Carbonfund, and Cool Effect. In addition, Climeworks is the most effective but also most expensive carbon offset option and Climate Vault locks away carbon permits from the compliance market.

Keep reading to learn more about the best carbon offsets for medium & large businesses, 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 Offsets for Medium & Large Businesses 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 offsets, 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 Offsets for Medium & Large Businesses in 2024

Below are our favorite carbon offsets for medium & large businesses (you can click on their link to directly jump to their section in this article):

Carbon Offsets for Medium & Large BusinessesQuick Facts
TerrapassAbout: Carbon offset purchases support farm power, landfill gas capture, clean energy from wind power, and abandoned coal mine methane capture carbon offset projects.
Costs: $16.99 per 1,000kg of CO2
CarbonfundAbout: Carbon offset purchases support third-party validated and verified energy efficiency, forestry, and renewable energy carbon offset projects globally.
Costs: Evaluated after a personal contact 
Cool EffectAbout: Carbon offset purchases support avoided nature loss (forestry, tree planting, grasslands), methane capture, and clean cookstoves carbon offset projects.
Costs: $14.62 per 1,000kg of CO2
ClimeworksAbout: Carbon offset purchases support the practice of direct CO2 removal, where specialized machines remove CO2 directly from the air and store it in rock formations underground.
Costs: Evaluated after a personal contact
Climate VaultAbout: Climate Vault purchases carbon permits on the compliance market and stores them in their vault so they can not be used.
Costs: Evaluated after a personal contact 
ClearAbout: Carbon offset purchases support. reforestation, efficient cookstoves, renewable energy, methane capture, and landfill gas capture carbon offset projects.
Costs: $25 per 1,000kg of CO2
EcologiAbout: Carbon offset purchases support forest restoration, renewable energy, clean cookstoves, and clean drinking water offset projects. A certain number of trees are also planted with every offset purchase.
Costs: $6 per 1,000kg of CO2
myclimateAbout: Carbon offset purchases support energy efficiency, forestry, waste management, and renewable energy carbon offset projects.
Costs: Determined after completing their carbon emissions calculator
3DegreesAbout: Carbon offset purchases support forest management, landfill gas capture, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sulfur hexafluoride reduction.
Cost: Evaluated after a personal contact
SelectraAbout: Carbon offset purchases support wind farm development in India via the Ghandi project.
Costs: Evaluated after a personal contact
1

Terrapass: Carbon Offsets for Individuals and Businesses

Screenshot of the Terrapass business page

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 has many options for businesses looking to offset their carbon footprint. They offer a carbon balanced business plan (monthly subscription), business offsets, flight offsets, and a business gift of Terrapass. 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: Terrapass offers 5 business carbon offset options which work out to approximately $16.99 per 1,000kg of CO2 offset.

  • Carbon Balanced Business plan: $8.50 per employee per month. It assumes that your business generates up to 500kg (0.5 tonnes) of CO2 per employee per month. 
  • Business Carbon Offsets: $16.99 per 500kg (one-time) or $16.49 per 500kg (monthly subscription) of CO2 offset 
  • Flight Carbon Offsets: $8 per 454kg (1,000lbs) of CO2 offset.
  • Business Gift of Terrapass: $16.99 per 1,000kg of CO2 offset. It includes a minimum 1,000kg of CO2 offsets, a holiday certificate, and a holiday e-card

How to get your carbon offsets: Visit the Terrapass website to purchase your carbon balanced business plan, business offsets, flight offsets, or a business gift of Terrapass

2

Carbonfund: Go Carbon Neutral

Screenshot of the Carbonfund front page

Carbonfund is a nonprofit organization founded in 2003 by current President Eric Carlson and is based in New York, United States of America. Their mission is to make it easy for any individual, business, or organization to reduce & offset their climate impact and hasten the transition to a clean energy future.

“Reduce what you can, offset what you can’t”

Carbonfund

Carbon offset overview: Carbonfund offers an innovative and flexible way to help your business calculate, reduce and offset your carbon footprint, named the Carbonfree® Partner Program. Their Carbonfree® Large Business Program (20 or more employees) provides a way for businesses to differentiate their brand, reduce their environmental impact, and communicate their leadership. Purchases support energy efficiency, forestry, and renewable energy carbon offset projects globally. To date, they have supported 240 projects in 28 countries.

Carbon offset effectiveness: Carbonfund projects are third-party verified and adhere to the Verified Carbon Standard, Gold Standard, American Carbon Registry, and Climate Action Reserve.

Carbon offset costs: The cost for the Carbonfree® Large Business Program is determined after contacting a Carbonfund representative.

How to get your carbon offsets: Visit their Carbonfree® Partner Program webpage to learn more about the small and large business options and offset your business’s carbon footprint.

3

Cool Effect: Giving Like the Planet Depends on It

Screenshot of the Cool Effect front page

Cool Effect began in 1998 with a small, clean-burning cookstoves project in Honduras and has since grown to represent a platform with 15+ global projects and a community of more than 500,000. Their mission is to give people the power and confidence to band together and reduce the carbon pollution that causes climate change.

“Carbon done correctly”

Cool Effect

Carbon offset overview: Cool Effect has a Business Carbon Offset Calculator  that offsets your businesses’ carbon footprint in terms of power consumption. It takes into account the number of employees, and you can choose between the following 3 methods of calculation: monthly utility bill, monthly utility usage, or office square footage. Purchasing carbon offsets funds projects involving avoided nature loss (forestry, tree planting, grasslands), methane capture, and clean cookstoves. These projects are located in the United States (Montana, Oregon, Tennessee), India, China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Honduras, Kenya, and Uganda. 

Carbon offset effectiveness: Cool Effect projects are 100% additional, rigorously verified, and adhere to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Carbon offset costs: It costs approximately $14.62 per 1,000 kg of CO2 offset. 

How to get your carbon offsets: Visit Cool Effect’s business carbon offset calculator to enter your information and offset your business’ power consumption.

4

Climeworks: The Leader in Direct CO2 Removal 

Screenshot of the climeworks front page

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 their 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: The business side of Climeworks is a B2B operation where costs may be evaluated after personal contact

How to get your carbon offsets: To learn how Climeworks B2B solutions could help your business with its climate goals, contact their sales team.

5

Climate Vault: Locking Away CO2 Emissions For Good

Screenshot of the Climate Vault front page

Climate Vault is an organization that works with supporters, organizations, and individuals to reduce and eliminate carbon footprints. They participate in the mandatory carbon market, also known as the cap-and-trade market. Their mission is to reduce CO2 emissions significantly while also continuing to support technology that can remove CO2 already in the atmosphere.

“Make net zero a reality, right now”

Climate Vault

Project overview: Climate Vault has taken a different approach to reduce CO2 emissions. First, they purchase carbon permits issued to businesses on the cap-and-trade compliance market. Then, they store them in their vault so that emitters cannot use them. Since the number of carbon permits is finite, this decreases the overall amount of CO2 that emitters are allowed to emit. 1 permit translates to 1 metric ton (1,000kg) of CO2 vaulted, making their approach easily measurable and verifiable. 

Carbon offset costs: The business side of Climate Vault is a B2B operation where costs are determined after contacting a Climate Vault team member.  

How to get your carbon offsets: Contact the Climate Vault team to inquire about offsetting your business.

6

Clear: Join the Climate Change Mission  

Clear was founded in 2005, when climate change first hit society’s radar. They provide individuals and businesses the opportunity to offset activities such as staying in hotels, commuting, public transport, maritime freight, and even skydiving and balloon flights. Their mission is to use technology and innovation to empower individuals and smaller companies to easily take environmental action now.

“Will this carbon offset really cover the emissions I can’t avoid creating?” Clear is dedicated to living up to that promise.”

Clear

Carbon offset overview: Clear offers a variety of business carbon offset options, including direct carbon offsets, hotel stays, business vehicles, offices and factories, business internet, raw materials and manufacturing, waste disposal and recycling, business commuting, business fuel, air freight, sea freight cargo, wastewater and sewage, mains water supply, and business flights. They offer the option to make your purchase carbon-neutral, 50% carbon negative, 100% carbon negative, or 200% carbon negative. Purchases support projects involving reforestation, efficient cookstoves, renewable energy, methane capture, and landfill gas capture. 

Carbon offset effectiveness: Clear carbon offsets are the first in the world to be independently certified against the Quality Assurance Standard (QAS), a comprehensive independent audit system for companies wanting to become carbon neutral through carbon reduction. 

Carbon offset costs: The cost to offset emissions from your business costs approximately $25 per 1,000kg of CO2. They also offer the option to make your purchase carbon negative at 50%, 100%, or 200% which increases the overall cost accordingly. 

How to get your carbon offsets: You can use the Clear carbon offset calculator to calculate and offset your emissions from various business sectors. Or you can directly purchase a carbon offset. Download their audit tool if you aren’t ready to dive in just yet.

7

Ecologi: Where Carbon Reduction Partners With Tree Planting 

Screenshot of the Ecologi front page

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 or your businesses carbon footprint through verified carbon offsets. And a certain number of trees are also planted so they can sequester carbon once they mature. To date they have helped 11,878 businesses prioritize climate action. 

“Ecologi is your partner all the way to Net Zero.”

Ecologi

Project overview: Ecologi’s framework for businesses is the Climate Positive Workforce. This means that when you partner your business with Ecologi, you’ll be offsetting your employees’ entire carbon footprint and their business travel while planting trees for every employee. Purchases support projects including, but 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: Ecologi offers 3 business plans which work out to approximately $6 per 1,000kg of CO2 offset. 

  • Employees: This plan factors in minor business travel and costs $11.60 per employee per month. It offsets 1,700kg of CO2 and plants 12 trees every month. 
  • Intermittent Jet Setter Employees: This plan factors in medium business travel and costs $21 per employee per month. It offsets 3,500kg of CO2 and plants 24 trees every month. 
  • Frequent Long-Hauler Employees: This plan factors in major business travel and costs $42 per employee per month. It offsets 7,000kg of CO2 and plants 48 trees every month.

How to get your carbon offsets: If your business has 1-100 employees, you can visit Ecologi’s business carbon offsetting webpage to learn more about the Climate Positive Workforce and find out how Ecologi can help your business. If you have more than 250 employees, you can get in touch with Ecologi directly for more information.

8

myclimate: Shaping the Future

Screenshot of the myclimate front page

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 offers the option to offset your company’s annual emissions. 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. 

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: Costs are determined after completing myclimate’s carbon emissions calculator.

9

3Degrees: Making Climate Action Possible

Screenshot of the 3Degrees front page

3Degrees has been providing renewable energy, transportation decarbonization, and climate solutions to businesses and utilities for over 15 years, helping them to instigate meaningful climate action. They also provide donations to various nonprofit organizations who specialize in conservation, renewable energy, and education. Their goal is to help their clients address the growing issue of climate change by achieving their renewable energy and decarbonization targets.

“The climate crisis won’t wait. Take action today.”

3Degrees

Project overview: 3Degrees is a strategic partner for businesses looking to build a portfolio of verified carbon reduction and removal projects. You can either purchase carbon credits or support the development of new carbon offset projects. Purchases support projects including, but not limited to, forest management, landfill gas capture, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sulfur hexafluoride reduction.

Carbon offset effectiveness: 3Degrees develops carbon offset projects that are third-party verified and adhere to one of the following global standards, Climate Action Reserve, American Carbon Registry, Verified Carbon Standard, or Gold Standard.

Carbon offset costs: 3Degrees is a B2B operation where costs are determined after contacting a 3Degrees team member.

How to get your carbon offsets: To get a custom quote and for any other questions, contact 3Degrees via their website.

10

Selectra: Corporate Carbon Footprint Solutions

Screenshot of the Selectra front page

Selectra is a French based company founded in 2007 initially to help consumers save on their energy bills. Their mission is to inform the consumer so they can find the best deals on all their home utility contracts. 

“Learn more about the fight against global warming”

Selectra

Carbon offset overview: Selectra offers businesses the option to calculate, reduce, and report their carbon footprint. Purchases support the Gandhi project, which accelerates the transition to green energy by supporting wind farm development in India. So far, Selectra has invested more than 1905 tonnes (2100 tons) of CO2 in this project. 

Carbon offset effectiveness: The Ghandi project was chosen in collaboration with EcoAct, a European consultancy firm specializing in carbon offsetting, and is certified under the Verified Carbon Standard to help ensure transparency and quality in the creation, quantification, and verification of offset projects.

Carbon offset costs: The business side of Selectra is a B2B operation where costs may be evaluated after personal contact

How to get your carbon offsets: To learn how Selectra can help your business with its climate goals, contact their climate consulting department. 

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:

  • Direct CO2 removal: Machines remove CO2 directly from the air. Effective at reducing emissions in the short and long-term because they are additional and permanent.
  • Renewable energy: Investing in projects that build and maintain renewable energy sites globally. There is no additionality because renewables are becoming a greater share of our energy mix, with or without the help of offsets.
  • Energy efficiency improvements: The creation of products or systems that use less energy than conventional systems to perform the same task. However, if products are replaced too quickly, the amount of CO2 required to produce the new product would exceed the amount of CO2 saved with the new product.
  • Carbon sequestration: The long-term storage of carbon via forestry practices. Not an effective way to reduce emissions in the long-term because there is no guaranteed permanence.

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 

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.

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.

Carbon Offsetting LimitationQuick Facts
#1: You don’t reduce your own carbon footprintWhen you purchase a carbon offset, you are paying someone else to cut their emissions so you don’t have to cut your own emissions.
#2: Carbon offsets do not work at the core issue of reducing CO2 emissionsGlobal warming is still occurring at an accelerated rate because offsetting CO2 emissions does not cut CO2 emissions at the source, it only mitigates emissions.
#3: Carbon offsetting only reduces CO2 if the projects are additional and permanentIf carbon offset projects are not additional and permanent, they can make climate change worse because they are not offsetting any carbon.
#4: “Poorer” countries are paid to offset carbon while the “rich” countries continue to emitThe richest of the world emit the majority of the world’s carbon. Offsets are just licenses to pollute with the benefit of aiding those in developing countries.
#5: Different projects have different effectiveness ratesThe varying levels of effectiveness of carbon offset programs make it difficult to choose one that actually reduces emissions. The most effective offset programs are renewable energy programs, followed by energy efficiency improvements, carbon sequestration, and aviation offset programs.  
#6: CO2 offsets are only realized at the end of project durations If a carbon offset program is not carried out until the end, then we cannot reap the program’s benefits. For example, planting trees is a common offset program that is only effective if those planted trees are protected during their life span for the carbon benefits to be realized. 
#7: There are not enough offsets for all CO2 emissionsWe emit far more CO2 than we can offset because of carbon sink (e.g., atmosphere, forests, soil, ocean) limitations.
#8: Not all offset projects get realizedOf the credits for 1 billion tons of CO2 listed on registries, only about 300-400 million tons of CO2 offsets actually get realized. 
#9: Carbon offsetting projects are often used as greenwashingInvesting in non-verified credits, not prioritizing in-house emissions reductions, and double-counting carbon credits are methods of greenwashing. Also, companies may advertise a specific program, but it may be just for public attention instead of actually reducing emissions.
Related: 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. 

Illustration of annual CO2 emissions globally
Our World in Data: Annual total CO2 emissions

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.

  • 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. 

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

Final Thoughts

Carbonfund, Terrapass, Cool Effect, Clear, Ecologi, Cooler, 3Degrees, Climate Vault, Climeworks, Selectra have the best carbon offset options for medium and large businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint. They either have specific programs for medium and large businesses or have a variety of options for these businesses to offset different aspects of their companies. They are third-party verified, permanent, additional, and use the leading carbon offset standards.

Overall, carbon offsets can help reduce your overall carbon emissions to balance off the carbon footprint of your business to fight climate change – at least in the short term. But in the long term, direct methods of carbon footprint reduction are much more effective. Reducing your business’ carbon footprint first before relying on carbon offsets can make more of a difference in the fight against climate change.

Stay impactful,

Illustration of a signature for Grace



Sources

Photo of author
Did you like this article?

Get the 5-minute newsletter that makes reading impactful news enjoyable—packed with actionable insights to make a positive impact in your daily life.

Three Related Posts

One Unrelated Post