The climate neutrality mechanism goes back to the Kyoto Protocol (https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/kpger.pdf). According to the definition of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it defines climate neutrality as follows: If an emission source (e.g. corporate activity) is offset by an emission sink (climate protection project), no additional damage is caused to the climate. We then speak of a term known as “climate neutral”. Source IPCC (https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/glossary/)
Climate neutrality is an environmental policy goal of not exerting any additional negative influence on the climate through production and consumption. This is based on the assumption that the climate system can buffer a certain level of greenhouse gas emissions without having any significant impact on the climate. However, climate neutral does not mean that no greenhouse gases have been produced or that the company has been able to reduce and avoid them to such an extent that it is emission-free. Products, services or companies can be climate-neutral if the greenhouse gas emissions are offset after calculating the CO2e balance (e.g. according to the GHG Protocol). In addition to voluntary commitment to climate protection, the avoidance or reduction of greenhouse gases is imperative and important, but according to the IPCC it is not a prerequisite for achieving climate neutrality. For more information on what companies contribute to avoiding or reducing CO2e emissions beyond CO2e offsetting, or which system limits have been taken into account for CO2e offsetting, please contact the above-mentioned company itself.
What companies do to avoid or reduce greenhouse gas emissions beyond the pure offsetting of greenhouse gas emissions (according to Kyoto) should be described on the company's website.
Climate-neutral through CO2 offsetting does not mean that no greenhouse gases have been produced, for example in a production process, or that the company has been able to reduce and avoid its greenhouse gas emissions to such an extent that it is emission-free thanks to innovative technology.
Other common terms: CO2 certificates, climate protection certificates, emission certificates. CO2 certificates are generally traded in the unit of 1 ton of CO2e (e=equivalents). Other greenhouse gases that are harmful to the climate, such as methane, are converted into a corresponding quantity of CO₂, known as CO2 equivalents. 1 certificate corresponds to a saving of one tonne of CO2 equivalent through a climate protection project. There are two markets for trading CO2 certificates: the mandatory market at state level and the voluntary market. Independent institutions such as the Gold Standard certify and verify climate protection projects from which certificates are generated.
Voluntary climate protection is about taking responsibility and actively working to protect the climate. And just as everyone is part of the problem, everyone can also be part of the solution.
Voluntary carbon offsetting is a voluntary payment for an additional climate protection measure that saves the amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with a process at another location. The terms CO2 compensation, offsetting, voluntary compensation or compensation payment are used synonymously in the sense described here.
No. In our view, the costs you pay to offset your CO2 emissions are not donations for climate protection, but represent a sensible investment in a measurable reduction in your CO2 emissions.
No. Particularly in the voluntary offset market, trading in CO2 certificates is the only way to get a certified climate protection project off the ground and finance it over a very long period of time. Certificate buyers, whether companies, organizations or private individuals, therefore make an active and real contribution to climate protection. This clearly has nothing to do with “easing your conscience” or “buying your way out of CO2 sin”. However, if it is the case that you could ease your conscience by offsetting CO2, this option would also be far better than doing nothing.
Sitting out climate problems through ignorance or repression cannot be a solution.It is much better to become aware of your CO2 emissions, for example by calculating your CO2 footprint, to reduce them and ideally to stop them. However, as long as this “shutdown” is not yet possible, CO2 offsetting is the best way to reduce emissions quickly and particularly effectively. This creates time for the development of further innovations or mechanisms in the area of voluntary climate protection. So: YES, it makes sense to know your CO2 footprint - and YES, offsetting CO2 emissions is an investment in the future!
No. If you look at the corporate communications of some companies, you might think that only the “unavoidable” CO2 emissions are allowed to be offset. The prerequisite for offsetting is first to avoid emissions, then to reduce unavoidable CO2 emissions through various efficiency measures and only then to offset the CO2 emissions that cannot be reduced any further. This approach is certainly justified, but inevitably leads to offsetting being relegated to last place in the ranking of climate protection measures. Likewise, the avoidance and reduction measures that have not yet been implemented provide sufficient justification for why a company does not need to offset CO2 emissions for the time being. The approach that only “unavoidable” greenhouse gas emissions should be offset is also a precondition that does not exist. After all, who determines what is avoidable? Is a vacation trip or a car journey avoidable? As this is therefore subjective, there can be no precondition of this kind.
The principle of climate neutrality, as it is applied today in voluntary climate protection, is based on the Kyoto Protocol, which was adopted in 1997. The Kyoto Protocol is an additional protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with the aim of global climate protection.
The agreement, which came into force in 2005, regulates binding targets for greenhouse gas emissions under international law for the first time. It was defined that emissions that arise in one place can be avoided in another. The trading of emission rights is therefore the central instrument of the Kyoto Protocol.
Let's be honest. We want to protect the climate (and the environment) and curb global warming. But what price are we prepared to pay for this? Are we prepared to make sacrifices to protect our environment and safeguard the future of our children? What are we willing or able to do without? And what does doing without mean on a global level? Will we do without bananas or coffee in future, products that often have to travel a long way to reach the consumer? And what do we say to the bananas, farmers or coffee growers? Perhaps: “Sorry, we are now protecting the climate and we will no longer buy your products!”? In the future, it won't be enough to talk about harmonious, sustainable coffee cultivation with satisfied coffee farmers with beautiful pictures, or to only buy cotton shirts that are somehow certified! No! For each of us, protecting the climate means cutting back, limiting consumption, using things for longer, not flying short distances by plane and making sure that the buildings we live in are energy-optimized. Of course, these points represent a large number of things that we all need to tackle together and, of course, ultimately, individually.
But climate neutrality through carbon offsetting can be a building block that buys us time until we have developed more efficient technologies that emit significantly less CO2 than before or until we have adapted our consumer behavior to the necessities. Perhaps we will then also have a solution to the massive injustice in the world and the unequal distribution of wealth. Solutions against famine and water shortages and against politically motivated wars.
There are different types of projects that can be used to offset CO2 emissions. Some projects invest in emission savings through the increased use of renewable energy sources, others remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through reforestation and others avoid the emission of greenhouse gases in industrial processes. The projects also differ in terms of their scope. There are smaller projects that take place at community level and larger ones that can cover an entire industrial plant. The different types of projects have different advantages and disadvantages in terms of their potential for reducing greenhouse gases, but also in terms of the side effects they have, for example on biodiversity or the employment situation in the region. Climate protection projects must meet internationally recognized criteria and standards and be certified accordingly.
The most important criteria are as follows::
What advantages do reforestation projects offer over technical projects? Only reforestation projects use the mechanism of photosynthesis to bind CO2 currently in the atmosphere in the biomass of the tree and remove it from the atmosphere immediately and permanently. CO2 is therefore bound directly. Reforestation projects therefore help us to counteract the current problem of too much CO2 in the atmosphere. Renewable energy projects, on the other hand, only indirectly avoid CO2 emissions by preventing them in the future. For us at natureOffice, the many advantages clearly lie in the many co-benefits that reforestation projects bring with them. First and foremost, the safeguarding and creation of biodiversity, the stabilization and creation of the many protective functions of forests, such as erosion and water protection. Not forgetting the long-term jobs in the project regions, which improve the living conditions of the local population. A wind farm financed by an energy company in China, for example, does not offer these benefits. It is not a question of which is better or worse. We need both forms in order to solve current and future problems in the long term.
You often hear these terms in connection with climate protection projects in Germany or the purchase of compensation certificates for decommissioning. But what do they actually mean?
Double counting is a negative scenario in which an emission reduction is claimed or sold twice. Double counting is a risk that can undermine environmental integrity.
National projects here in Germany in particular often harbor the risk of double counting. As a member of the EU, Germany has signed the Kyoto Protocol and has therefore made a legally binding commitment to limit and reduce emissions. Germany is therefore obliged to report its emissions for afforestation, reforestation and deforestation. In the second commitment period, arable land and grassland management were also included in reporting as part of the national emissions inventory.
This means that reductions from national forest projects in Germany are positively counted in the national emissions inventory. If these reductions were offered to customers to offset CO2 emissions, this would be a clear case of double counting.
In the case of registration and decommissioning, the problem of double counting can be countered as follows: The certificates issued for a project should be registered at a central location, in a so-called registry. Registries issue serial numbers and track the ownership of emission allowances. Information on whether certificates have already been used for offsetting purposes and thus “retired” is publicly accessible here. This prevents certificates that have been retired from being resold or traded. There is no generally valid public registry for voluntary market allowances. Two registry operators in particular are relevant: APX and Markit, the two largest registries in the area of voluntary CO2 transactions.
Voluntary climate protection is about taking responsibility and actively engaging in climate protection. Just as everyone is part of the problem, everyone can also be part of the solution.
These are climate protection standards that certify climate protection projects on a voluntary basis. A climate protection project must comply with the rules of the standards. For example, one of the rules is additionality, meaning that a project is additional and was not already planned or would not have been implemented anyway. Other aspects that are examined include no child labor, no land displacement, compliance with local laws, and much more. These criteria are reviewed by independent auditors at the beginning and throughout the entire project duration. The Gold Standard is the more well-known climate protection standard, but in terms of performance, other standards like the VCS are absolutely comparable and equivalent.
Only the commitment to voluntary climate protection makes it possible to develop and operate climate protection projects worldwide.
The climate protection projects are certified by the Gold Standard (or VCS) and are monitored throughout their entire duration. This means that the retirement of certificates is also controlled by the standard. This ensures that certificates cannot be sold multiple times. These projects can only be implemented through additionality, meaning the sale of CO2 certificates.
The Kyoto Protocol specifies in which countries climate protection projects are allowed for the voluntary market. These are emerging and developing countries. The reason for this is that, in addition to climate protection, the aim is also to improve social structures. This includes, for example, water and energy supply, the construction of schools, and specifically the promotion of women through women-focused projects. Another important point is that implementing climate protection projects in emerging and developing countries is significantly cheaper, but has the same effect on the global climate. In Germany, projects that protect the climate can also be initiated; however, these projects do not generate climate protection certificates.
For the global climate, it doesn't matter where the CO2 offset takes place, but for the economy, it does. That's why climate protection projects generally make more sense where the natural conditions are suitable and the projects can be realized cost-effectively. An important side effect: climate protection projects in the developing world promote technology transfer and actively support self-help efforts. Another issue with climate protection projects in Germany is the potential for double counting. Indirect double counting could occur, for example, if fossil fuel electricity from a power plant is replaced by electricity from a wind farm. The renewable energy would reduce the national emissions budget and generate additional emission rights. Forest areas in Germany are subject to strict controls and regulations. For example, forests must be reforested after fires or wind damage. This reforestation cannot be considered a climate protection project because, in this case, the crucial criterion of additionality is not met. However, we want to do one thing without neglecting the other, especially since we face various problems in German forests, some of which are also caused by climate change. Therefore, we have also decided to engage in Germany and support important forest ecology projects.
Climate change has also reached Germany. In many forest areas across the country, trees are growing in places that are not naturally suitable for them due to historical reasons dating back to the 17th century. These are trees that might naturally grow in the north of Germany rather than the south. Or, if we consider the recent summer with its above-average temperatures and long periods of drought, it becomes clear that climate adaptation is necessary even in German forests. Instead of always relying on the government, we, together with regional forestry operations, take care of forest ecology projects in Germany. This can include forest restructuring in the Alps, where we replant silver fir and beech trees, as well as the maintenance of sections in the Rhön Biosphere Reserve or the rewetting of moors in the Hunsrück. In Werdohl, where forests were devastated by severe storms, we work together with surrounding communities to replant the storm-damaged areas.
The carbon footprint of the company site is calculated according to the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol (WRI and WBCSD, 2004) or ISO 14064. This calculation includes all direct greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1) and all indirect emissions from the consumption of electricity, district heating, and district cooling (Scope 2). The inclusion of all or selected indirect emissions (Scope 3) from upstream and downstream processes is optional.
The carbon footprint of products is calculated according to the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol (WRI and WBCSD, 2004) or ISO 14067. This calculation always considers (cradle-to-gate) all direct greenhouse gas emissions from production, all indirect emissions from the consumption of electricity, district heating, and district cooling, as well as upstream indirect emissions. The additional consideration of all indirect emissions from downstream processes is particularly applied to consumer products (cradle-to-grave). The categories considered in the assessment include: energy consumption, water consumption, purchased raw materials and supplies (production and delivery), packaging materials (production and delivery), waste disposal and recycling, and mobility, including employee commuting and business travel.
Most people today know what CO2 is: carbon dioxide (CO2) is a significant greenhouse gas and is emitted, for example, by airplanes and vehicles. Excessive CO2 emissions contribute negatively to climate development, promoting global warming. Often, in publications or reports on CO2 balances, you might not see the abbreviation CO2, but rather CO2e. What does this abbreviation mean?
CO2e is a unit of measurement that makes the impact of all greenhouse gases on our climate comparable, considering all greenhouse gases listed in the Kyoto Protocol. These include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NO2), halogenated fluorocarbons (such as CHF3), perfluorinated hydrocarbons (CF4), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), which all contribute to the greenhouse effect to varying degrees. They remain in the Earth's atmosphere for different lengths of time and are much more harmful to the climate than the well-known CO2, due to their significantly higher greenhouse potential. In Germany, however, CO2 is the most important greenhouse gas, accounting for 88% of the greenhouse effect. Despite their higher greenhouse potential, the other gases should not be neglected. How much more harmful a greenhouse gas is compared to CO2 can be calculated using CO2 equivalents (CO2e).
Example: Methane
The impact of one ton of CO2 is typically compared over a period of 100 years to the impact of one ton of methane. One ton of methane is about 25 times more harmful to the climate than one ton of CO2. Therefore, one ton of methane corresponds to approximately 25 tons of CO2 equivalents (CO2e).
Note on the climate-neutral logo through CO2 offsetting: We consider all greenhouse gases when calculating CO2 balances.
Yes, there are. Depending on your preference, we can create your climate balance according to:
DIN ISO 14064-1 provides specifications along with guidelines for quantifying and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and removals at the organizational level. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) is the most widely recognized international standard for greenhouse gas accounting for companies and projects. Greenhouse gas emissions are categorized into three scopes according to the GHG Protocol logic:
The effort required to create a balance sheet varies greatly depending on what is being accounted for. For example, does a product consist of only a few raw materials, or is there a complex production process involving various materials behind it? The more precise and detailed the data needs to be evaluated, and the deeper you want to delve into the supply chains, the more complex, but also more accurate and detailed, your climate balance will be. The most labor-intensive step in the accounting process is the collection of the necessary activity data, which is then used to determine the emission quantities. In this process, we rely on the support of the company to provide these activity data.
First, you should define the goals for the accounting. If it is legally required for your company, there are likely specific requirements that must be met. If you are doing it out of personal interest, you can decide freely on the scope and reporting.
Next, establish the operational and company-specific system boundaries as well as the reporting year. Once you have set the framework for your balance sheet, you can collect the relevant data (activity data) and calculate the greenhouse gas emissions.
Activity data are quantitative measures of an activity that leads to GHG emissions. It is a measure that models what happens during a specific period (e.g., the amount of gas consumed, kilometers driven, tons of solid waste disposed of in landfills, etc.).
Emission factors are quantitative measures of GHG emissions resulting from a defined activity.
Examples of emission factors:
No, we currently generate CO2 certificates exclusively from the forest project. In the future, we plan to launch an additional project in the area of energy-efficient cookstoves.
This depends on the tree itself, the location, the amount of sunlight, the planting density and many other factors. It's impossible to say in general terms, as we have around 89 different tree species on our site.
No, the calculation of the amount of emissions is not broken down by tree, but by area. We assume that approx. 12 tons of carbon are sequestered per hectare per year.
We plant new trees twice a year, always during the rainy season.
There is not even an authority or institution in Togo that has dealt with this issue arising from Paris to date. Especially as new rules can only be applied to new projects and not to existing projects.
The PROJECT TOGO climate protection project pursues the vision of combining active climate protection with the improvement of social structures. In addition to its function as a climate protection project, the project has developed into a regional project and now fulfills 12 of the 17 Global Goals. Together with the support of committed people and companies, POROJECT TOGO is creating self-sustaining value-added units: Facilities for energy production, water supply and soil improvement, infrastructures for health and education, projects for sustainable agriculture and forestry, self-sufficiency and market production. The core of PROJECT TOGO consists of natural forest afforestation. The aim of the activity is to plant native tree species to create a conservation zone that will develop into a natural forest in the long term. Around 2 million trees have been planted on an area of 1,000 hectares since the project began in 2012. The trees are exclusively native species in the region.
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