List of better carbon offsets: these organisations you want to know about

There is a lot to be said about CO2 offsetting, because it is not a real solution and unfortunately there are also a lot of shadowy projects that do little or nothing in return for the planet. But then again, if you have booked that plane trip or toured Europe by car, doing something is better than nothing. So carbon offsetting, but where to go and how to go about it?

CO2 offsetting of your plane ticket or car holiday

You've probably seen it before: when buying an airline ticket, you get the option to offset your CO2 emissions for a small amount. That few euros you pay extra is then invested in a sustainable project. If solving climate change were so cheap and easy, of course, we would have done this a long time ago. What I discovered is that claims like ‘neutral’, ‘zero’ or ‘100% climate neutral’ on flight sites are factually incorrect. So CO2 offsetting is unfortunately not as green and reliable as it seems, but as long as there is no more sustainable fuel, flying less and offsetting air travel is the only thing airlines can come up with and travellers can then do.

The sustainable tip: arrange your CO2 offsetting yourself and offset more!

So if you decide to fly, let's hope not too often, it's helpful if you know a few things about it. And I think you will come to the conclusion, as I did, that full CO2 offsetting of your flight is not possible, but that doing nothing is not an option either. If you want to do something: arrange the compensation yourself and not through the airline. Moreover, set aside more money for it, so that it hopefully makes up for that ‘oh-so-impactful choice’.

Whew! The fair price of your plane ticket

Unfortunately, the real price of a plane ticket is much higher than the attractive price you sometimes pay at the airline. You will have to save a lot more money, be warned!

• Offsetting your air travel through an airline means at best a small contribution to a project that potentially removes CO2 from the air.
• It is not full compensation and the airlines' calculation only assumes CO2 emissions. That calculation further does not take into account all those other pollutants that also result from flying. Think nitrogen, sulphur, soot, particulate matter and ultrafine dust that further accelerate global warming and pollution. The calculation also usually does not take into account the amplifying effect of emissions high in the air.
• If you want to do it as well as possible, you should compensate your flight for a fairer amount that includes environmental and climate costs. Climate journalist Ties Joosten, in his book The blue fable prepared a calculation that comes closer. Especially for a long-haul flight, what amount rolls out from that is gulping:
  • Research shows that the long-term damage amount per tonne of CO2 emissions is €269.
  • Look up online how many tonnes of CO2 you emit with your flight (1 tonne = 1,000 kilos). Also consider the return journey and other family members travelling with you.
  • Multiply that number by €269. For one return Bali flight, it is 4.8 tonnes of emissions x 269 euros = 1,291.20 euros. Another example: for one return flight Barcelona, it is 0.38 tonnes x 269 euros = 102.22 euros. But then we are not there yet.
  • Actually, you should also include the amplifying effect of emissions high in the sky. The amount should then still be x 2. A fairer compensation of one return ticket Bali should be an amount in the neighbourhood of €2,582.40 and the extra cost of your ticket Barcelona should then be €204.44.
    
    

Carbon offsetting: look for the better organisations

What I also learned during my search is that it matters how you offset. That too turns out to be a shadowy world with many questionable compensation projects. For instance, there are stories of multiple certificates being sold in South America for one forest or of certificates being issued for forests that have been there for years. As a result, nothing has actually changed except that we have started emitting more and bought it off with a paper lie. If a project does fall into line, you also have little security. Because there are often no guarantees about the duration of a project. Whereas to really compensate a flight, you need the certainty that those trees will remain standing for at least decades. But you don't have that certainty because of deforestation, forest fires and changing regimes that may have other plans.

This does not make choosing a compensation project any easier. Still, there are some things you can look out for. There are labels for compensation projects. Hallmarks to keep an eye on are:

• Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) climate compensation: this seal shows that they actually use the money for climate compensation through projects such as wind turbines or forest planting.
• Central Bureau of Fundraising (CBF), charity regulator: they monitor whether recognised charities meet strict quality requirements.
• Gold Standard: an international label established by the World Wildlife Fund, among others. The label is awarded to projects that ensure sustainable developments with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions.
  
  

You can also look at annual reports. These show what organisations have done with the donated money.

List of better compensation projects

Being curious myself whether the organisations I knew met these criteria, I checked them out. And then I also discovered some organisations that I did not yet know, but which came out well. These are the organisations I discovered that have one or more labels and/or a transparent annual report:

• atmospheric: a German non-profit organisation that aims to reduce CO2 emissions by investing in sustainable energy projects worldwide. Atmosfair allows you to enter more details about your flight such as the type of aircraft making by calculation slightly more accurate.
• Carbonkiller: here you can buy emission rights. Companies need emission rights to emit CO2, for which they pay a lot of money. If we buy up allowances and destroy them to offset our CO2 emissions, we ensure that the prices of these allowances keep rising and thus encourage companies to become more sustainable.
• Cool Earth: is committed to rainforest conservation. Not planting new trees, but rather preserving existing nature is important. Because the older a tree, the more CO2 it retains.
• FairClimateFund: invests in carbon reduction projects. These projects benefit people most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Their goal is to work with partners to provide cleaner cooking solutions for half a million people by 2025 and to plant half a million trees, reducing one million tonnes of CO2.
• Justdiggit: their goal is to green Africa and in this way cool the earth again. They do this in partnership with local people.
• Trees for All: is committed to restoring nature and forests and planting new forests and food forests in the Netherlands and around the world.
• Les Emissions: tip from an Insta follower who lives in Canada. This is a certified Canadian organisation that allows you to offset air travel, boat trips or tonnes of CO2. They are part of a green energy company.
  
  

More good compensation projects?

Do you have something to offset? Whether it's a plane trip, car holiday, annual bill from your energy supplier or a big purchase, make sure you spend your money with an organisation that is reliable AND sets aside enough money for it. Have you discovered another good organisation that you think belongs in this list? Be sure to let us know! You can get in touch via the follow and contact buttons at the bottom of this page.

More sustainable tips from thegreenlist.nl

• Also see: compensate your business activities.
• Also see: Sustainable winter sports: can ski holidays be sustainable?
• Also see: Road trip Spain: from Amsterdam to Tossa de Mar.
• Also see: Bringing sustainable souvenirs from holiday: this is how to choose responsibly!
  
  

Sources: National Geographic, BNNVARA, Milieu Centraal, nu.nl, nu.nl. Photo credits: Emre Can Acer (Pexels).