10″ November “2022” ALJAZEER

a series delving into the social, economic and political forces undermining meaningful global action on climate change.

In this episode, Ali speaks with environmental justice researcher, Joanna Cabello; executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network,

Tom Goldtooth; and professor in environmental modelling,

Britaldo Silveira Soares Filho, about the realities of carbon offsets,

Global carbon markets and so-called “nature-based solutions

The UN Campaign for
Individual Action

To preserve a livable climate, greenhouse-gas emissions must be reduced by half by 2030 and to net zero by 2050. Bold, fast, and wide-ranging action needs to be taken by governments and businesses. But the transition to a low-carbon world also requires the participation of citizens – especially in advanced economies.

ActNow is the United Nations campaign for individual action on climate change and sustainability.

Every one of us can help limit global warming and take care of our planet. By making choices that have less harmful effects on the environment, we can be part of the solution and influence change.

Start with ten impactful actions

Our lifestyles have a profound impact on our planet. Our choices matter. Around two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions are linked to private households. The electricity we use, the food we eat, the way we travel, and the things we buy all contribute to a person’s “carbon footprint,” the amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with an individual’s activities.

Start with these ten actions to help tackle the climate crisis. For more tips, to calculate your carbon footprint and to log your actions, download the app.

Carbon Offsets 101: Why We Can’t Offset Our Way Out of the Climate Crisis

What Are Carbon Offsets?

Carbon offsets are in theory a way to cancel out greenhouse gas emissions by funding an activity that will remove a supposedly equal amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or prevent an equal amount of carbon pollution. They can be purchased by everyone from major companies pursuing net-zero emissions goals to individuals looking to compensate for high-carbon activities like flying.

Typically, an institution or individual will purchase a certain amount of carbon credits, with one credit usually standing in for one metric ton of carbon dioxide — or what is typically emitted by driving 2,513 miles in a gas car — removed from the atmosphere. (That’s roughly the distance between San Francisco and Atlanta).

Whoever buys the carbon credit is essentially buying the right to count the emissions reduction as theirs even if it’s being performed by a tree-planting or renewable energy project on the other side of the globe.

Carbon offsets usually come in two forms: voluntary or compliance. Voluntary offsets are those that companies or individuals chose to purchase as part of self-assigned emission reduction goals.

The voluntary carbon market quadrupled in value from 2020 to the end of 2021 to reach nearly $2 billion. Compliance offsets are those that are part of legally-binding cap-and-trade arrangements. One example is the European Union Emissions Trading System, in which a cap is set on total carbon emissions and reduced over time. Individual emitters like power plants either buy or receive emission allowances that they can then trade with other plants or factories. California also has a cap-and-trade system. In most such systems, an allowance, like a credit, is equal to one metric ton of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas.

The global compliance market covers around 30 trading systems and is worth $270 billion.

The total value of carbon credits traded on the compliance market in 2021 rose 164 percent from 2020 to reach $851 billion.