A couple of weeks ago,  I bought offsets to net out my family’s greenhouse gas emissions from 2023.

In 2022, I calculated that our family is responsible for about 50 tonnes of emissions per year – I wrote about it in this post.

I’ve got plans to reduce that 50 tonnes, which include changing the way we heat our home, changing our stove and changing our gas-powered Subaru for an electric vehicle. Those 3 changes alone should cut our emissions by about 30%.   It’s not zero, but it will be a good start.

But so far, not much has changed since 2022. I’m hoping to complete those projects soon – but it’s complicated.  The first thing I have to do is upgrade my electrical service.  I have 200 amps coming into the house now.  I had an electrician review my plans and he calculated that I’ll need 350 amps to do what I need to do.  That means tearing open walls in my finished basement and running some big fat wires to a new sub-panel, repairing, painting, cleaning up… sigh.  

It’s going to be a big mess and I just don’t have the bandwidth to start this project just yet.  I hope to get onto it next year.

Until then, the next best thing I can do about our emissions is to offset them by purchasing offset credits in the voluntary carbon credit market.

What is an offset credit?

Carbon offsets are very real, but they require a little imagination to understand how they work.

For example:  Imagine a municipal landfill site in Niagara, Ontario.  The municipal waste dumped in the landfill decomposes and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

An assessment of the landfill concludes that it emits 8,400 tonnes of methane per year and will do so for the next 20 years.  Because methane has about 25 times the global warming potential of CO2, this is equivalent to roughly 4.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent over the twenty-year period.

Now imagine that same landfill invests in a system to capture that methane and then uses it to run boilers in a nearby recycled paper mill’s steam plant.  The methane is no longer released to the atmosphere and the energy requirements of the paper mill are significantly reduced.  The system can be reliably expected to operate for 20 years.

This methane capture system is therefore preventing the release of 4.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions.  Said another way – the methane capture system has created 4.2 million tonnes of negative emissions. 

Since the 1970’s policymakers have recognized that if there was a marketplace where negative emissions could be bought and sold,  it would create financial incentives for industry to invest in emissions reduction technologies.  The money raised from selling offset credits would help fund the capital required for the emission reduction initiatives.

A supplement, not a solution

While these credits play a role in addressing climate change, both their use and their effectiveness have been the subject of debate and scrutiny.

Critics worry that offsets may be used as the one and only action people and organizations adopt to address their emissions, replacing emission reduction efforts.  

While offsets are a useful tool in the fight against climate change, they are not a substitute for cutting emissions – there is no way to offset our way out of the climate crisis.  But offsets can play a helpful role in compensating for delays in real emission reductions.

The reputation of the offset market has also suffered due to some high-profile issuers being criticized for exaggerating the climate benefits and underestimating the potential harms of their projects.  

Projects focused on forest conservation or reforestation are particularly vulnerable due to the difficulty in estimating the credit value of a forest and then ensuring it remains constant over the long term.

These risks can be managed with a little research.  Buyers should choose offsets certified by reputable standards such as VCS, Gold Standard, CAR, or ACR.  Offsets should be verified by an independent third party and ensure transparency, additionality, permanence, and regular monitoring and reporting.    Carbon credits also need to be supported by a reliable registry to ensure that are retired once they’ve been used.

Personal Experience

My plan is to use credits to offset our household emissions, while I put plans in place to reduce them permanently.  Earlier this month I bought 50 tonnes of negative emissions from 3 projects.

1. Thermal Residential Heating Aggregation Project – 16.67 tonnes CO2e @ $20/tonne.
   
   This project replaces conventional residential fossil fuel combustion heating with solar heating systems located at private residences and commercial swimming pool locations across Canada.  The solar hot water heating systems consist of rubber-based solar collector panels and plastic piping.
   
   
2. Niagara, ON – Landfill Gas to Energy Project – 16.67 tonnes @ 25.00 / tonne.
   
   This project collects, captures and recovers landfill gas originating at Niagara, Ontario’s East Quarry Landfill, and processes it into a useable fuel source for distribution via pipeline to a nearby recycled paper mill.
   
   Previously, a significant amount of landfill gas was released into the atmosphere where greenhouse gases contribute to the negative effects of climate change.
   
   
3. BC Greenhouse Biomass to Energy Project – 16.67 tonnes @ $28.00 /tonne.
   
   The BC Greenhouse Biomass to Energy Project, near Abbotsford in the agricultural hub of British Columbia, signifies a forward-thinking approach to sustainable energy practices in greenhouse heating. By transitioning from natural gas to biomass, the project substantially reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for its 36 acres of bell pepper production.
   
   This strategic shift not only curbs the use of fossil fuels but also tackles the issue of methane emissions from organic waste decomposition in landfills—a significant contributor to climate change.
   

I purchased these offsets through Carbonzero, a well-established Canadian provider of 3rd party verified carbon offsets.

The homes, landfill sites and greenhouses involved in these projects were all emitting greenhouse gases. They made investments that demonstrably and reliably cut their emission. Because they removed emissions that would have otherwise occurred, they created negative emissions.

In buying those negative emissions to offset my own, I am helping support the voluntary carbon offset market by providing financing to make these projects happen. In my eyes, it’s a win-win.

A New Way of Giving?

The total cost to offset my family’s emissions was just under $1,300 for the year, about $110 per month – or $28 per month per person.

I recognize that $100 per month is not immaterial and for some families, such an additional expense would be completely out of reach.  For others, though, taking on an additional expense comparable to a cell phone plan or high-speed internet would not be a hardship.

In my case, I already give money annually to various causes that are consistent with my values, such as supporting health care, education and social justice causes.  I’ve come to think of buying carbon offsets as a form of charitable donation aligned with my goals to support the environment.

In the end, buying carbon offsets is a personal decision based on circumstances and values – but don’t be discouraged by negative news. High-quality, independently verified offsets are easy to find. Take a few reasonable steps to ensure you are dealing with a reputable seller of verified credits and you will be sure to realize the value you expect for your investment in the climate.