What is carbon offsetting?
Carbon offsetting is a way for individuals and businesses to reduce their carbon footprint.
It’s particularly popular for those who rely on fossil fuels, but cannot switch to lower-emission fuels or alternative power for efficiency, financial or practicality reasons.
Whilst it doesn’t remove the emissions at their source, it still helps to protect the global environment by funding carbon-reducing projects in other areas. you can get many of your questions answered in our carbon offsetting FAQ.
How does carbon offsetting work?
Carbon offsetting involves the purchase of carbon credits, which support and fund initiatives that either prevent or capture an equivalent amount of emissions. This balances your emissions against the amount reduced, which effectively offsets them.
Nationwide Fuels sources our carbon credits from CHOOOSE, a leading provider of accredited and verified carbon credits.
How many credits will I need?
To ensure that you only buy the carbon offsets that you need, we look after the entire process for you. All you need to do is:
- Ask your account manager about offsetting your fuels next time you place an order
- They’ll calculate the carbon offset contribution required, and provide a quote for the carbon credits
- Once you agree, your contributions go toward global projects that reduce emissions
- Your fuels will be delivered alongside a certificate for your carbon credits, proving that you’re doing your bit to reduce your environmental footprint!
Your account manager will be on hand to answer any of your questions about carbon offsetting.
Are Nationwide Fuels’ carbon credits legitimate?
All of the carbon credits supplied by Nationwide Fuels are fully verified and accredited by independent third parties.
They are sourced through CHOOOSE, an international supplier of carbon credits that are certified to the following globally-recognised standards:
- Gold Standard
- Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)
- United Nations Climate Change Carbon Mechanism (CDM)
- The Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBS)
By providing the name of our supplier, we hope to increase transparency and trust in carbon offsetting and the benefits that it can provide to communities around the world.
How do I know that my carbon credits will have an impact?
Your contributions will fund activities around the world that not only reduce global carbon levels, but also have a positive impact on communities in emerging economies. This can range from programs at the household level e.g replacing coal or wood-fired stoves with solar-powered electric replacements, all the way to funding wind and solar farms to replace coal-fired power stations.
However; to ensure that each credit has a viable and long-lasting impact on global greenhouse gas levels, they must meet the following four principles:
Additionality – this principle ensures that your carbon offset leads to a reduction in greenhouse gases that wouldn’t have occurred otherwise. Meeting this principle requires rigorous accountability and transparency.
Permanence – Offset projects should almost permanently keep CO2 emissions out of the atmosphere. This can be an issue with reforesting projects, with deforestation or fires impacting offset levels.
Double counting – The purchased offsets must have exclusive claim to the emissions reduction project, which can be difficult between consumer, corporate and national levels.
Leakage – Any activities should not lead to increased environmental or social impacts elsewhere.