- Contact Us
- About Us
- FAQ’s
FAQ's
1. Why is offsetting my carbon emissions going to help combat climate change?
2.What are carbon emissions?
3.How does carbon offsetting work?
4.Do you fund projects in Ireland?
5.Do trees reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere and do you use tree planting to offset?
6.Are you involved in the EU Emission Trading Scheme?
7.How can you be sure your projects make the CO2 reductions you claim?
8.How can I be assured gco2 will physically offset my emissions?
9.Is gco2 a charity?
10.Is VAT paid on Carbon Credits?
11.Where do we get our calculator figures?
Why is offsetting my carbon emissions going to help combat climate change?
Climate change is happening and is probably one of the greatest threats mankind has ever faced. The IPCC have concluded that the increased build up of greenhouse gasses due to changing human behaviour is very likely (>90% probability) the cause of climate change.
The human factors responsible for the increase of greenhouse gases include driving cars, taking flights and heating and powering our homes and offices. Everybody can take responsibility for their personal impact on climate change and play their part to reduce the levels of harmful emissions in our atmosphere.
There are a number of things you can do to reduce your personal impact on climate change, see our “reducing your footprint” section. For those emissions you cannot eliminate by reduction alone, you can offset. By offsetting you fund projects, which reduce the levels of harmful emissions in the atmosphere to the same extent that you are producing emissions from your daily activities. By offsetting you essentially neutralise you personal impact on climate change and reduce the overall levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
back to top
What are carbon emissions?
The word “carbon” is often used as shorthand for carbon dioxide (CO2). “Carbon” is often used in reference to climate change, such as “carbon footprint”, “carbon emissions” and “carbon trading”. “Carbon” in these circumstances does not refer solely to carbon dioxide but can also include other greenhouse gasses.
Greenhouse gasses include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapour and other gasses. Their relative contributions to climate change, as measured by their heat trapping properties, are expressed as a carbon dioxide equivalent. For example 1 metric tonne of methane is equivalent to 21 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide.
back to top
How does carbon offsetting work?
Your carbon footprint can be measured in terms of carbon tonnes. Using our calculators you can estimate the amount of carbon tonnes you personally contribute to the atmosphere, based on your lifestyle and travel choices. When you choose to offset these carbon tonnes you fund a project which measurably reduces the same amount of carbon tonnes in the atmosphere
Example:
- The average Irish individual is estimated to be responsible for emitting 17 tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere (both directly through transport/energy choices and indirectly through products/services consumed)
- By making certain minor lifestyle changes to become energy efficient, an individual can reduce their carbon emissions.
- Offset what cannot be reduced. By purchasing carbon reduction credits for the remaining tonnes, individuals can fund projects, which reduce the equivalent carbon emissions
- Each tonne offset will remove a carbon tonne from the atmosphere that would otherwise have been emitted.
Do you fund projects in Ireland?
Ireland is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, and as such has legally binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Any reduction in CO2 emissions resulting from an independently funded project in Ireland would automatically reduce the total national emissions. As these reductions would have to have been carried out anyway, it would result in double counting and essentially make no real difference in the total level of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.
We aim to reduce CO2 emissions beyond those, which have already been promised through the Kyoto Protocol. Our approach insists on “additionality”, which assures those that offset through gco2 are making a real and quantifiable difference in reducing the levels of co2 in the atmosphere.
back to top
Do trees reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere and do you use tree planting to offset?
Trees play a very important role in the regulation of our climate. Through photosynthesis, plants and trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, store the carbon in sugars, starch and cellulose, and release oxygen into the atmosphere. Planting trees is a common method used to offset carbon dioxide
There are a number of issues with using tree-planting as an offseting mechanism, including:
- Calculation of carbon capture from forestry schemes often assumes a long lifecycle for the forest development. There are a number of problems here - particularly in that it takes a long time for the carbon savings to be realised. Also, unforeseen circumstances such as fires and other environmental events could result in the trees never achieving the carbon savings assumed. As such, gco2’s “verification” benchmark is often difficult to accurately employ.
- The exact carbon mitigation qualities of certain forestry projects are extremely difficult to accurately quantify, as the “measurability” of certain forestry projects can be questionable. gco2 cannot confidently approve such projects under our benchmarks.
- When trees die they release carbon back into the atmosphere
gco2 accept that properly managed forestry projects can have positive benefits to the environment, but gco2 also believe the problems associated with using forestry projects as a mechanism for carbon offsetting often outweigh the benefits. gco2 only invest in projects, which comply with the highest scientific standards and in line with our stringent benchmarks of “measurability”, “verification” and “additionality”.
In general gco2 do not use forestry projects as part of our portfolio but should our customers specifically request forestry projects gco2 can source a range of forestry projects which are accredited under our approved mechanisms, this formal accreditation and detailed monitoring will dramatically reduce many of our concerns regarding forestry projects.
back to top
Are you involved in the EU Emission Trading Scheme?
The EU Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) was set up to aid companies of EU member states manage their emission reduction obligations under the Kyoto Protocol.
gco2 primarily operates in the voluntary carbon market, which means our credits provide carbon reductions, which are not traded as part of the EU ETS scheme, nor do they contribute towards the Kyoto targets of individual member states. While some of gco2’s projects will be approved under the Kyoto Mechanisms, the credits generated from these projects will be retired (decommissioned) and as such the emission reductions provided by gco2 are in addition to those required under the Kyoto Protocol.
back to top
How can you be sure your projects make the CO2 reductions you claim?
All gco2 projects are developed in line with emission reduction methodologies which are approved by the leading global organizations on climate change. Current project methodologies are supported by:
1. UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Each project funded by gco2 is fully audited and accredited to a globally recognised standard. Currently, gco2 only invest in projects which are approved by one of the following bodies:
- Kyoto Mechanisms – Clean Development Mechanism / Joint Implementation
- Gold Standard
- Voluntary Carbon Standard
Once carbon credits are generated from the projects we fund they will be retired on our behalf which will ensure they cannot be re-sold.
See current project for more details.
back to top
How can I be assured gco2 will physically offset my emissions?
gco2 contract independent third parties to audit our records and ensure that for every tonne of carbon sold by gco2, a tonne of carbon has been reduced by our projects and the credits obtained from the projects have been retired so they cannot be re-sold.
back to top
Is gco2 a charity?
gco2 is a company limited by guarantee and not a charity. gco2 believe the fight against climate change should not be the sole responsibility of the charitable sector. As a for profit business gco2 are better able to raise initial finance for projects which will enable gco2 develop more projects at a far quicker rate and the net result will be a far greater impact in the fight against climate change.
gco2 believe the charitable sector is best positioned to help relieve the immediate negative effects of climate change such as the immediate health impacts and the displacement of individuals. gco2’s mission is to enable individuals and businesses challenge the causes of climate change, that being the immediate reduction of carbon emissions being released into the atmosphere.
With the sheer scale of the climate change problem if the causes are not addressed immediately, in time the burden on the charitable sector may become insurmountable.
gco2 as a for profit organisation aims to utilise the scale of our projects and our network of business partners to enable our customers fund the highest quality projects at the most competitive prices available internationally both by for-profit and not-for-profit organisations.
back to top
Is VAT paid on Carbon Credits?
All prices quoted on this website are inclusive of VAT. If you require a seperate VAT receipt for your transaction please contact us directly
back to top
Where do we get our calculator figures?
Carbon emissions are calculated by estimating the various units of energy you consume and using the relevant carbon conversion factor based on each specific energy source. Conversion factors used in our calculators are based on published figures from governmental and other official data sources. gco2 calculators use a number of assumptions to estimate carbon emissions so the results should be regarded as a general guide rather than a precise figure.
Household Emissions
Household carbon emissions are estimated by first identifying the various sources of energy and the units of each your household consumes. The units of energy are multiplied by the relevant conversion factors to estimate your household carbon emissions based on energy sources available in your local market.
Carbon emissions may vary from time to time due largely to the fact that energy sources in different countries vary. For example, the carbon emissions produced per unit of electricity will vary year on year due to the changing makeup of the national/local grid. The increased use of renewable energy sources (e.g. wind-farms) in the national/local grid will result in a reduction in the carbon emissions per unit of electricity.
Car Emissions
Carbon emissions from car travel are estimated by first identifying the fuel type and fuel usage of your vehicle and multiplying this by the relevant conversion factor to identify the average CO2/km. Average conversion factors based on engine size are based on new cars sold in Ireland in 2005. The conversion factor will vary over time due to changing average fuel efficiency of vehicles.
The conversion factor is multiplied by the distance travelled to estimate the carbon emissions.
Flight Emissions
There is a degree of uncertainty as to the calculation of carbon emissions from air travel, due largely to the theory that as the emissions from aircrafts are closer to the upper atmosphere the "relative forcing" is stronger than if the emissions were released on the earths surface. In addition, aircrafts burn more fuel at take off and landing so short haul flights emit more carbon per kilometre than long haul. Gco2 base our assumptions on the greenhouse gas emission protocols developed by the World Resource Institute.
We measure the flight distance between airports based on a standard trigonometric calculation using the longitude and latitude of airports.
The distances are then grouped into short/medium/long haul and multiplied by a corresponding conversion factor developed by the World Resource Institute.
Business Calculator
The gco2 business calculators were developed using carbon conversion factors from a broad spectrum of official sources, including but not limited to:
- Sustainable Energy Ireland
- UK Defra
- World Resource Institute
- US Environmental Protection Agency
gco2 attempt to use the most up to date and detailed data from official local sources wherever possible to ensure our calculators deliver the most accurate estimation of your businesses carbon footprint.
gco2 are committed to maintain the most accurate, detailed yet user friendly calculators available on-line so look out for exciting new features which will be added over time.
back to top
