Understanding CO₂ emissions

Human activity generates carbon dioxide (CO2), which is one of the main contributors to global warming. Turning on the gas at home, driving a car, or flying in a plane creates CO2, which is released into the atmosphere. In the UK, it is estimated that each person’s annual carbon footprint runs at 11 metric tonnes.

The most straightforward way to mitigate the effect of Carbon Dioxide on the Earth's climate is to use less energy. Another strategy involves the creation of carbon sinks (for example forests) to absorb CO2 that has already been created. As a consumer, buying more fuel efficient cars or investing in better insulation at home are practical ways to minimise a carbon footprint. Please see our Energy Savings section for more help.

CO2 emissions can never be avoided altogether, which is why this service allows you to offset and retire those emissions that you cannot reduce.

Carbon Offsetting

The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty that assigns mandatory greenhouse gas reduction targets to participating nations. European Union states must reduce their greenhouse gas output by 8% below their 1990 levels by the year 2012.

The EU has created a European-wide market for the trading of CO2 emissions in response to the Kyoto Protocol. Companies operating in the EU are given CO2 emissions targets, which they can meet by reducing their CO2 emissions. If they cannot reduce these emissions, these companies must buy, or offset, the equivalent amount of emission allowances.

Your purchase will limit the carbon dioxide a polluting company may emit into the atmosphere. CO2 emissions that have been bought through this service will be retired, which means that they will not be traded on to a carbon-emitting company that would use them as a license to pollute. By offsetting your own household’s CO2 emissions, you can therefore remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

During its first year of operation, 362 million tonnes of CO2 were traded in this way.

Global Warming

Carbon offsetting is an important part in the fight against global warming and your contribution will help to keep temperatures from rising by more than 2 degrees Celsius by 2050 compared to pre-industrial levels. Temperatures have risen by 0.8 degrees already and a further 0.5 degrees Celsius is considered inevitable at this point.

The scientific community holds that a sustained increase beyond 2 degrees would prove irreversible, with catastrophic impact across the globe.

In recognition to your commitment, we will issue you with an electronic offsetting certificate bearing the reference ID of the CO2 Allowance allocation that your contribution is part of.

This service is accredited by the energy watchdog energywatch. You can compare and switch energy supplier and use the savings from switching toward paying for your individual offset.