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Paying Back The Carbon Debt
Carbon offsetting offers people a means to compensate for the carbon emissions they produce through energy consumption. Around 40% of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions are produced through electricity consumption in home. This means that every individual has a carbon footprint to offset.
It works by paying a company to invest in renewable energy schemes- projects that will reduce carbon emissions by an amount equal to those created by human activity.
Of course, the most effective way to help fight climate change is cut down on the amount of energy each person produces, for example, by turning of the lights when you leave a room, never leaving electrical appliances on standby and ensuring that your house is insulated. However, offsetting is still a useful exercise which could help slow down global warming.
The best offsetting programs are those which focus on long-term energy efficiency or switching over to renewable energy sources, and can show you some sort of proof of the work they are doing.
Reforestation (or tree planting) projects, bio-energy or gas capture schemes are common but not as effective as others because they do not invest in the types of infrastructure needed for a low carbon future.
Carbon offset companies are not currently subject to any tailored regulations, but there a number of accreditation bodies. These include:
DEFRA's Code of Best Practice (launched in June 2008) which gives a Quality Mark to show that a company has met the Government United Nations standards for being a reliable offset scheme.
And, The Gold Standard, which is a type of certification introduced by environmental groups. It identifies offset projects that meet good sustainability standards, deliver benefits to local communities and are based on energy efficiency or renewable energy.
About the Author Improve your carbon footprint today by switching to British Gas, the UK's greenest energy supplier. Get your new worcester boiler or baxi boilers online today.
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