Green Energy

For the last 30 years, there has been a significant global push toward green energy and reducing carbon emissions. As the severity of the climate crisis becomes greater every year, individuals and organisations are looking towards alternative energy sources and other methods to cut their carbon footprint.

For this reason, carbon offsets have become a popular way for companies to mitigate the carbon that they produce.

But what are carbon offsets, and are they the best way for companies to reduce their footprint?

Simply put, a company can measure its carbon footprint and, in turn, purchase an offset or credit for shares in a project that is reducing carbon emissions via Carbon Capture and Storage. In principle, this could make the company run at Net-Zero carbon.

However, offsets can be seen as putting a plaster over the carbon emission issue rather than tackling it directly. This is because the offset purchased may be contributing to a project on the other side of the world, while the footprint from the company premises will be the same.

Offsets are a reliable temporary measure, but there are not enough projects on a global scale where offsets can be purchased that will come close to offsetting the carbon from all human and commercial activity. This is why investments in renewable energy are a far ‘greener’ solution to the problem.

It is also vital that companies understand what suppliers mean when offering renewable energy tariffs. For example, some suppliers promise to use all of the income from clients on renewable energy investments. However, there have been concerns that even the largest energy suppliers in the country make claims on their 100% renewal energy tariffs that can only be backed up by certification and not be any physical evidence.

At 001, we have helped hundreds of businesses navigate the differences between green energy and carbon offsetting to help them procure 100% renewable sources.