Carbon Offsets: Not a Substitute for Sustainability

Purchasing carbon offsets to counteract the environmental damage we cause seems like a straightforward and responsible concept. A growing number of businesses, including airlines and shipping companies, now offer their customers the option to offset their carbon emissions in predetermined amounts catered to the customer’s impact on the environment. While the idea behind the movement is good, a closer look shows buying the offsets is not unlike the practice of purchasing alms to make up for misdeeds: the pollution still affects the environment, but we feel better for having bought our absolution.

The money used to purchase carbon offsets generally supports long-term projects, such as investment in earth-friendly technology or planting trees. Because these actions offer future returns–planted trees require at least a year before the returns begin–carbon offsets are months behind pollution from the very outset. Unless you purchase your offsets at least a year in advance, the pollution you create today will remain unmitigated for the immediate future. While a carbon offset standard exists for the compliance market, there are several certification standards for carbon offsets in the voluntary market, making it difficult to determine just how effective your purchase will be in helping the environment. Depending on the company through which you purchase the offsets, which answers first to investors, your money might not be making the difference you believe.

Critics of carbon offsets have argued further that such a system allows developed nations to continue unsustainable business models and lifestyles by funding carbon projects in developing countries. According to the Stockholm Environment Institute’s [SEI] “Making Sense of the Voluntary Carbon Market,” critics have even posited a new “carbon colonialism” as the countries where some carbon projects are developed see few, if any, benefits from the business. SEI’s report still champions the idea of voluntary participation in carbon offset programs, but recognizes the practice cannot substitute for a long-term dedication to sustainability.

This is why shipping greener right from the start makes sense. If you put less pollution into the air to begin with, through a more efficient shipping model, you’re reducing the environmental impact of your actions and working toward a more sustainable business model. Supplementing green shipping with voluntary carbon offsets offers a way to address the environmental impact of your business, but the process begins at the start of your shipping, not the end.