What is the Carbon Offset Portfolio?
This is a way to achieve a variety of outcomes in terms of either greenhouse reductions or in combination with sustainability considerations.
It is a collection of carbon offsets sourced from a variety of different projects which can be purchased alone or in combination with a recognised contribution to sustainability projects.
The carbon offsets are typically generated from renewable energy, energy efficiency, forestry or avoided deforestation (REDD) projects. The cost of purchasing the carbon offset is dependant on the quality/ rigour of the offset and the type of offset project involved.
We have provided information elsewhere on the carbon offset types and standards which will assist you to make an informed decision about the type of carbon credits you would like to purchase to offset your emissions and potentially, derive sustainability outcomes.
The Portfolio can be thought of as a smorgasbord of options, of which a group of “flavours” can be sampled according to your preferred mix of greenhouse and sustainability outcomes.
The range transitions from projects that have a greenhouse focus with the sustainability benefits a secondary consideration such as:
- renewable energy projects that are of a scale that exceeds the local community and are focused on providing greenhouse benefits to a large number of diffuse beneficiaries;
- forestry, energy efficiency and landfill gas projects that, while verified as meeting the accreditation requirements for the creation of credible carbon offsets, have not implemented additional steps to attain a “Gold Standard”;
through to those projects that have a balance of sustainability and greenhouse benefits such as:
- the installation of renewable energy technology which enables the community to operate a lighting system or vaccine refrigerator to improve the education and health of the community;
- the use of distributed generation to provide the energy needed to operate a sanitation facility which will help to provide reduce water borne diseases;
- the use of forestry based credits to achieve the protection of forest and its biodiversity while helping the community to develop new industries that do not rely on the degradation of the environment in which they live;
- the provision of advice to vulnerable communities on how to prevent the commercial logging of the existing native forest on their traditional lands and the industries that can support sustainable development which also has the added benefit of helping to hold the carbon in the standing forest;
through to those projects that don’t have a direct greenhouse benefit such as:
- improving aspects of a selected community’s environmental and/or social sustainability;
- supporting the maintenance, protection, strengthening of a particular culture;
- working at the local level to help a community’s economy move from unsustainable practices to sustainable options; and
- helping to increase access to education or health care within the community, especially for children and women.