Carbon Offsetting - What does it mean?

Carbon is everywhere – in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the clothes we wear – literally everywhere. However, carbon in its element form is not necessarily bad. Nature has tried to maintain a balance between the various gases present in the environment, carbon being one of them too.  Humans don’t play by the same rules as nature; our constant need for consumption drives how we make and use our resources. Simply put, when we produce, we release excess carbon into the atmosphere. 

Carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas emissions generated by individuals and organizations to produce services and products. These gases trap heat in the atmosphere for many, many years, making earth warmer and thus contributing to climate change. According to EPA, CO2 accounted for about 80 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in 2019. 

The fashion industry alone produces almost 10 percent of global carbon emissions. Current predictions estimate the industry’s emissions could increase by 60% by 2030 if measures are not taken right now (Mckinsey - Fashion on Climate). This explains the urgency to manage carbon footprint and stop the environmental disaster.

In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report concluding that to limit global warming to the 1.5 degrees Celsius set by the Paris Agreement, the world needs to stop emitting carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gases, by 2050. Some sectors, such as electricity, are rapidly decarbonizing through the move to renewables, but others, like aviation, will find it more difficult. To get to “net zero,” or “carbon neutrality,” CO2 will need to be taken out of the atmosphere to compensate. Energy efficiency and conservation, switching to cleaner fuels, changing consumption and production patterns can definitely improve our state. But for anyone doing business, there comes a point where you’ve done it all but are still leaving some sort  of footprint. 

Offsetting can play a valuable role in this bid. Carbon offsetting is defined as a concept that neutralizes the same amount of carbon emissions you release into the atmosphere. An organization calculates its footprints from various activities and invests in initiatives like regenerative agriculture, renewable energy development and other green projects to offset their own emissions. One can even buy carbon credits to mitigate emissions as part of a larger project than just reductions of their own. One common example is the option to offset your flight by paying a bit more on your plane tickets. So, you still take the flight but counter its emissions through green projects in other parts of the world.

Carbon offsetting holds significant potential towards greener economies only when done right. We need to ensure that offsetting does not divert us from transitioning to better life-cycle methods in the first place. This means it cannot be substituted in places where we can prevent emissions originally. It should be only implemented where processes cannot be controlled or altered. As compliance measures increase, offsetting will become a prerequisite to ensure carbon neutrality.

Grey to Green is a non-profit organization that aims on making the planet greener, one tree at a time. The company’s mission is to restore the green cover in and around Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in the world and provide clean air to the people. 

Our objective is to calculate the amount of carbon produced from shipping on each order and through our partnership with Grey to Green, accordingly adopt trees to negate its effects. Our inspiration was to promote clean air where it is needed most. As a result, Grey to Green will be planting trees in Delhi for every order we ship from Tribute. To further this commitment, we will be issuing certificates with tracking IDs for the trees planted with each receipt. Through this collaboration, we are not only getting closer to carbon neutrality but also supporting a project that benefits communities in India.

 Tribute has stepped onto the responsible wagon to protect Mother Earth and we are taking you with us. Transparency is crucial for us, we always thrive to be open and honest. We will continue to update you on the different projects we undertake as a responsible business.