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WITH CARBON OFFSETTING I CAN NEUTRALISE MY IMPACT ON THE CLIMATE
What is carbon offsetting ?
Carbon offsetting is a novel way of minimizing your contribution to global warming by entrusting others with reducing some of the CO2 emissions you cannot easily or affordably reduce yourself in the short term.
Why is it a good idea ?
The most effective way to avoid contributing to global warming is to minimize the CO2 emissions we are directly responsible for by taking less flights, using public transport more, heating our homes less, buying more locally produced merchandise and consuming seasonal produce, recycling waste, using renewable energy…find out more
This is easier said than done: public transport will not always take us quickly where we want to go; in some types of accommodation it is impossible to control the heating; household waste sorting is not always an available option, installing solar panels or extra insulation in homes and offices is costly and slow to pay for itself, and telephone conferences have their limitations and sometimes it is necessary to jump on a plane.
Furthermore, even if you managed to reduce your emissions levels substantially - say by 50% - they would still most likely exceed levels sustainable by the planet: the average French household produces nine tons of CO2 emissions per person per annum of which the earth is only able to absorb two. Therefore, in order for your CO2 emissions to be sustainable you would need to reduce them by 75%. In the short term this is often unattainable.
CO2 offsetting allows you to minimise your impact on the climate despite being unable to reduce your direct emissions to the level required for the planet to achieve a sustainable equilibrium.
How does it work ?
You simply entrust others with reducing your CO2 emissions by the amount of your choice.
In practical terms Climat Mundi funds global projects that reduce CO2 emissions on a large scale and then resells these reductions to you in small amounts. The amount you pay towards funding the projects is tailored to suit your requirements.
Example : Climat Mundi funds solar panels somewhere in the world. Solar panels heat water without using electricity from the grid, and so if the national grid in the country in question is fuelled by conventional coal technology, reducing energy produced by that grid means reducing CO2 emissions. Financing solar panels in such places can reduce CO2 emissions by 10,000 tons. We sell you a portion of these reductions: if you emit 6 tons of CO2 per annum, you purchase 6 tons worth of reductions.
What are the benefits ?
It is easy: no work and no pressure.
It is quick: just a few clicks away.
It is affordable: for the price of a full petrol tank you can neutralise your return flight Paris-New York or your car’s impact on the climate for a whole year!
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