Carbon Offsetting: what, when, where - and most importantly - why?
Carbon offsetting is a method of compensating for the carbon producing activities we do, by funding a carbon capturing project elsewhere. Hypothetically, if you were to offset one tonne of carbon, this would mean that there is one less tonne of carbon in the atmosphere than there would have been.
Neutral Ignition work to offset vehicular CO2 emissions by calculating a cars CO2 output, and provide innovative solutions to reduce our global carbon footprint and move towards becoming a carbon neutral society. We do this by calculating a person’s carbon output through their vehicle’s registration number and annual mileage, and offset via nature-based solutions that would absorb enough CO2 to counterbalance the negative effects of driving. Drivers can then choose which method to offset their carbon. Our mission at Neutral Ignition is to remove 75 million tonnes of CO2 from the planet by 2050 through carbon sequestration projects.
Carbon Offsetting in Practice
Neutral Ignition calculates how much carbon to offset through environmentally sustainable projects. We pass this data onto our partners in forestation and peatland restoration projects, who then plant a correlating number of trees or maintain a comparative amount of peatland in order to make travelling less damaging to the planet. We contribute to forestation missions all over the UK, and peatland restoration projects in Scotland and Wales. Forestation is important for capturing carbon, and peatlands act as some of the largest terrestrial carbon stores on the planet. As well as being important parts of our natural ecosystems that should be preserved, when peatlands become damaged they emit staggeringly high amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere – 1.3 gigatons annually – and so restoration and maintenance is vital for a carbon low ecosystem.
Neutral Ignition partners collaborate with landowners, companies and individuals to provide innovative and successful ways of carbon offsetting through reforestation and peatland restoration. They work with two main goals in mind; to support the growth of healthy and diverse woodland and peatland spaces in the UK, and to create a system through which businesses and individuals can be responsible for their carbon emissions. These partnerships have contributed to the planting over 13 million trees through private sector funding, encouraging businesses and individuals alike to engage in the journey one must undertake to restore our shared environment.
Over 25% of UK greenhouse gases come from our vehicle usage. There are 37.5 million drivers in the UK, emitting 172.5 million tonnes of CO2 per year. This averages out to 4.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide per car into the atmosphere every year. We know that offsetting your car emissions will not eradicate CO2 levels in the atmosphere, but see it as a stepping stone until carbon neutral vehicles become readily available. Carbon offsetting and Neutral Ignition are short term solutions to a long-term problem, but when facing a climate crisis, the most important thing we can do is act in any way we can.
By Estelle Clayton
17/11/2021