Posts Tagged ‘carbon offset’

Carbon offsetting is a way for individuals or companies to balance out the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases they produce. This can be done by reducing their emissions or removing carbon from the atmosphere in different areas. When the reductions from these offset projects match the total carbon footprint of an activity, it’s considered carbon neutral. 

The term ‘offset’ has a rich history, dating back to the late 1970s when it first appeared in the U.S. Clean Air Act. It was coined to describe reducing emissions at one facility to compensate for emissions produced at another. This law mandates that if activities leading to new emissions are carried out in areas with high pollution levels, emission reductions must be implemented in another region. This concept still holds relevance today.