What is Offsetting Carbon Emissions？

Global warming is linked to the release of gases such as carbon dioxide into the air. Many gases are naturally produced by the Earth. However, more and more gases are released because of human actions such as driving cars, running factories and even heating homes. Many scientists believe that it is these additional gas emissions that are causing global warming.

Leaders all over the world have been looking for solutions to this problem for many years. In 1997, during the United Nations conference on climate change, many world leaders signed an important treaty called the Kyoto Protocol. This treaty proposed ways to reduce production of harmful gases. Today's Spotlight program is on a basic idea from the Kyoto Protocol called "carbon offsetting".

Offsetting Carbon is a way of paying for others to reduce emissions or absorb CO2 to compensate for your own emissions. For example, by planting trees to suck carbon out of the atmosphere as they grow, or by delivering energy-efficient cooking stoves to communities in developing countries.

Offsetting Carbon projects can reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere in two different ways, 1. Avoiding greenhouse gas emissions in the first place can be achieved, for example, by replacing fossil fuel generators such as oil with renewable energy generators such as wind or hydro. Burning and rotting trees also release greenhouse gases, so programs to prevent forest destruction can also reduce emissions. 2. This can be done by planting trees that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.

Nowadays, many countries have limits to the amount of emissions that a company can release. If a company does not release all their emissions, they can sell their extra emissions or "carbon credits" to other companies. So, some companies can make money by emitting less gas and selling off extra carbon credits. And companies that are releasing too many emissions can pay to buy extra carbon credits. It is our duty to protect the environment, and it is also the duty of enterprises. The hope is that together, the companies will stay below the emission limits.In this way, our living environment will be better and better.