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The Role of Carbon Credits in Rapid Emission Reduction and a Sustainable Economy

The 1.5°C Target: Scientific Reality or Unattainable Illusion?

The latest scientific data clearly shows that the rate of global warming has already exceeded the 1.5°C threshold in some regions, and the global average temperature is rapidly approaching this limit. According to IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) reports, if we continue on the current emission trajectory, we could surpass this target within the next decade, potentially triggering drastic changes in climate systems.

Current national commitments and regulations are insufficient to achieve the necessary emission reductions. Government measures are slow, and economic interests and political compromises further delay real action. It is clear that traditional emission reduction strategies alone will not yield the desired results, necessitating new, innovative financial and market mechanisms.

Carbon Credits: Key Tools for Financial Redistribution

Carbon credits offer a unique opportunity to redirect resources from polluting companies toward a sustainable economy. While traditional regulations (such as taxes or emission caps) require lengthy political negotiations, carbon credits, as market mechanisms, can immediately influence companies’ emission decisions.

Carbon markets provide an opportunity for large emitters to finance projects that result in actual emission reductions, such as:

Forest conservation projects,

Regenerative agricultural practices,

Development of renewable energy sources,

Waste management and plastic recycling.

The carbon credit system not only offers companies a solution to achieve net-zero emission goals but also contributes to the fulfillment of global sustainability objectives.

Economic and Environmental Benefits of Carbon Credits

The essence of carbon credits is the enforcement of the “polluter pays” principle: companies that continue to emit significant amounts of greenhouse gases are required to compensate by supporting projects that reduce or neutralize emissions, provided they want to meet sustainability-related expectations.

This system is advantageous in several ways:

Economic Incentive: It may be cheaper for companies to reduce their emissions than to purchase carbon credits, encouraging more companies to transition to low-carbon technologies.

Technological Innovation: Carbon markets stimulate the development of new technologies, such as carbon capture methods or alternative energy sources.

Environmental Benefits: Projects financed by carbon credits not only contribute to reducing carbon dioxide emissions but also provide additional environmental benefits, such as biodiversity protection or ecosystem restoration.

What Sets OurOffset’s Carbon Credit System Apart?

OurOffset aims to ensure the real environmental and social impact of carbon credits. While numerous carbon credit systems operate on the market today, not all guarantee actual emission reductions. OurOffset operates based on the following principles:

Credible, Verified Projects: Credits can only come from projects that meet strict scientific and professional criteria.

Transparency: Clear information is available to buyers and companies about the impacts of the supported projects.

Long-Term Sustainability: Carbon neutrality is not a one-time measure but a continuous effort that companies and individuals must consider in their long-term strategies.

In the fight against global warming, carbon credits represent not just an alternative tool but one of the most effective solutions for rapid emission reduction. We have already surpassed the 1.5°C threshold, so the new goal is to keep global temperature rise between 1.5 and 2°C. However, this cannot be achieved solely through traditional regulatory tools, making it essential to support the development of a sustainable economy and emission-reducing technologies through the redistribution of financial resources. OurOffset’s carbon credit system ensures that carbon neutrality is achieved in a truly effective and transparent manner, contributing to the attainment of global climate goals.

Carbon footprint can be defined as the cumulative effect of various (everyday, business, personal or community) human activities on the environment, or the extent to which we, people, have an impact on the condition of our planet in the course of our private and business lives.

A private individual’s carbon footprint can be said to be the total amount of GHGs emitted through their routine daily activities, whereas in the case of businesses it means the total amount of GHGs emitted through their business activities. Also, a carbon footprint can be calculated for individual products, services and even for various events.

The size or amount of carbon footprint is determined on an annual basis for individuals and businesses, while it is calculated on a case by case basis for products and events. For the last two, calculations are based on the amount of GHGs emitted while manufacturing and shipping a product, or organizing all the activities necessary to stage an event.

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), hydroflourocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs). When determining the size of one’s carbon footprint, one must examine the amount of GHGs emitted “as a side effect” of the activity or activities in question. Of the ones listed above, carbon dioxide has the biggest impact on our environment, even before methane.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂)

Carbon dioxide, or CO₂ for short, is a colorless and odorless gas, which is virtually imperceptible to humans and it is partly because of these characteristics that makes it so difficult to fight it. Basically, CO₂ is produced by burning fossil fuel, such as natural gas and petroleum, however it is also emitted “indirectly” when using electricity; in the production of electricity the most common method is burning fossil fuel.

Approximately 30 billion tones of carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere per year on planet Earth. This annual figure is very small compared to the emission resulting from natural phenomena, however, considering that carbon dioxide remains in the air for 100 to 200 years, when these excessive amounts accumulate, they can have a very significant impact on the environment, indeed.

Since the amount of CO₂ is the most important factor of all the other GHGs listed above from the standpoint of environmental changes or climate change, the size of carbon footprint is expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e), equivalent to one tone of carbon dioxide. When calculating carbon footprints, for the sake of simplicity and uniformity, the amounts of less important GHGs are determined in tCO₂e, thus converting their masses into CO₂ mass based on an index of how much they contribute to the greenhouse effect. The tCO₂e values, converted from masses of various GHGs, are then simply added up to get total emission figures.

Your “Private” Carbon Footprint

Your private carbon footprint can be calculated quite easily based on your daily activities, like home consumption of energy, the number of miles you have driven, the distances you have traveled by air. However, GHG emissions produced during the course of manufacturing food and other commodities you buy must also be taken into account.

Your “private carbon footprint” can be reduced to a marked degree by introducing simple lifestyle changes into your daily routine.

Your “Business” Carbon Footprint

Calculating your total business carbon footprint is a more complex task than doing your private one. In this scenario, several factors are to be taken into consideration when determining GHG emissions. In order to see the full picture with regard to a company or business activity, it is appropriate to first identify all possible sources of emission and then group them on the basis of whether it is in our power to have any direct influence over them. Based on such an approach, we can make a distinction between so-called “direct” and “indirect” sources.

Direct emission sources include those business activities with GHG emissions that your enterprise can control since they are within your sphere of influence. An example would be your gas consumption in the office, another would be that of your production line.

Indirect emission sources include those activities with GHG emissions that your enterprise cannot control since they are not in your sphere of influence. An example would be GHG emissions relating to raw materials your company buys and/or uses. Another would be GHG emissions produced when generating the electricity you are using.

Knowing the elements and total size of your carbon footprint enables you to decide

– to reduce your emissions by introducing carbon-efficient processes and policy
– to buy carbon offset credits
– or use a combination of the two methods.

The latter is recommended in neutralization procedures because the amounts of CO₂ added together through your own emission reduction are a huge step forward and deliberate businesses may also find the sources of their energy that has been wasted.

Nowadays, the number of businesses that consciously seek to go green is growing fast. This is important not only from a “corporate social responsibility” aspect but also because it can be a very effective marketing tool in the hands of companies, giving them a competitive edge.

The carbon footprint of humankind is 54% of its total ecological footprint. Moreover, this is the fastest growing component. The carbon footprint of mankind has increased 11-fold since 1961. The reduction of this component is the most important step humans can do in order to avoid overshoot and create a livable planet. We need to move on to qualitative civilization from the quantitative one. This is only possible with paradigm shift.

BOCS Carbon Calc

Dear Visitor, I warmly invite you to become part of the most effective climate protection team! Calculate your carbon footprint, reduce it, and offset the remaining part with credits! This way, you can achieve climate neutrality. Moreover, you can even reduce your total ecological footprint to zero, allowing you to “float above the Earth like an eco-angel” without burdening it. Invite your friends to join the team as well! This way, you can earn credits. With this highly effective humanitarian action, a small elite group of humanity can bring a decisive turning point in the climate crisis!

You can download our footprint calculator for Android here:

And for iPhone here:

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