Carbon Neutral
To be carbon neutral you can pay someone and a ‘project’ to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere by the same amount that your activities add. RK Shipman has decided to work with The CarbonNeutral Company, the world’s leading carbon offset and climate consulting business.
We have put together answers to some commonly asked questions:
- What is Carbon Neutral?
Each time we heat our homes, take a flight or drive the car, CO2 is added into the atmosphere. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that is released when fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal are burnt. To be carbon neutral you need to offset your CO2 emissions. To do this you are able to pay someone and a ‘project’ to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere by the same amount that your activities add. In this way you can 'neutralise' or 'balance' the CO2 added by your activities. - Why pay someone else?
Because it can be easier or better for them to reduce than for you. For example, in India there is a very efficient way to reduce CO2: by replacing kerosene used for lighting, with solar panels. Not only does this save CO2 but there are benefits to health (kerosene can be associated with respiratory problems) and local employment. The CarbonNeutral Company offsets your CO2 by putting money to projects around the world. These can be in:
- Renewable energy – this replaces non-renewable fuel such as coal
- Energy efficiency – this reduces the amount of fuel needed
- Methane capture – converting methane to less damaging products
- Forest restoration – this absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere as the trees grow
So as well as taking steps to reduce your 'carbon footprint' you can offset what remains, helping to promote low-carbon technologies where they make the most impact. - Who are The CarbonNeutral Company?
The CarbonNeutral Company is the world’s leading carbon offset and climate consulting business, enabling businesses and individuals to tackle their climate change impacts in a way which delivers value – commercial, environmental, personal.
The company works with over 200 B2B, B2C, NGO and government clients including BSkyB, Honda, Avis Europe, Barclays Bank, The World Conservation Union, Berkeley Homes, Ricoh and the Radio Taxis Group as well as celebrities and 50,000+ consumer clients.
CarbonNeutral® is the registered trademark of The CarbonNeutral Company (TCNC). TCNC programmes are independently verified. - What else can I do to reduce my ‘carbon footprint’?
While measures, such as turning televisions and computers off standby mode and using low-energy light bulbs may sound like a small response to the level of threat that the scientific community tells us we face, the sooner we start making changes to reduce carbon emissions, the less painful it will be for society later. - Here are some ideas to get you started:
Slow down: driving faster than 70mph will rapidly increase your emissions – it can also cost you considerably more in fuel to drive at 70mph compared to 50 mph.
Insulate your home: save energy and money on your heating bills.
Turn off your appliances, rather than leaving them on standby: unplugging mobile phone chargers alone could save UK consumers millions of pounds a year and cut CO2 emissions drastically.
Choose energy-efficient appliances: they cost less to run and consume less energy.
Other energy-saving tips and information is available from the Energy Saving Trust. Their web address is www.est.org.uk. Also ‘SHADES OF GREEN’ and other booklets at http://www.carbonneutral.com/pages/reducingCO2.asp
