Carbon offsetting is an approach that helps businesses of all sizes deal with emissions that they may otherwise not be able to cut. For example, we discussed Scope 3 emissions in a previous blog, which are created along your supply chain, but not in your direct control.
Even if you work diligently to reduce your direct carbon emissions, for instance by switching company vehicles to EVs and adopting green energy tariffs, you may be left with some emissions that can’t be reduced. This is where offsetting can help.
Carbon offsetting is a process that allows businesses to compensate for these emissions by investing in projects that reduce or remove equivalent carbon elsewhere. It’s a valuable tool in the work to reduce emissions.
You can use offsetting while taking a more gradual approach to in-house carbon reduction
Oliver Collins Marketing Manager for Contractors
Immediate carbon reduction
An additional benefit of carbon offsetting is that once you have calculated your business carbon footprint, you can use offsetting to start reducing that immediately.
As you work to shrink your carbon emissions, you can reduce the amount of offsetting. It’s an option that offers businesses a choice – invest directly in business carbon reductions or pay for offsetting while taking a more gradual approach to in-house activities.
Perhaps the most important point to bear in mind when making a choice about offsetting is that not all schemes are equal. So, finding a reliable offsetting partner is vital.
For instance, Mitsubishi Electric works with Climate Partner as part of our Committed Carbon Reduction Partner scheme. Climate Partner has twenty years of experience in carbon measurement and offsetting and provides robust, scalable solutions that suit businesses of all sizes.
They invest in a range of projects from renewable energy developments, reforestation, of social projects such as provision of clean drinking water. The carbon savings of these projects are measured and verified to international standards such as the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). The result is a carbon offset measurement that you can confidently demonstrate to your customers.
No more business as usual
Another key issue with offsetting is that it shouldn’t be used to compensate for ‘business as usual’.
Your business must still make the effort to reduce all the emissions that it can, with offsetting only applied as an interim measure or a final step to neutralise carbon which you can’t control.
This is not just a point of principle, but a sensible business choice. Carbon offsetting is a business cost that must be controlled, particularly as we’re likely to see the cost per tonne of carbon rising in future.
The best way to avoid rising costs is to reduce carbon emissions through the activities discussed in our previous blogs (see below).
Complexity made simple
Carbon offsetting is a complex topic, and one that’s best undertaken with expert guidance. Mitsubishi Electric introduced our Committed Carbon Reduction Partner programme to help contractors overcome the challenges and grasp the opportunities of carbon reduction.
A significant element of the CCRP is helping members to take the right approach to offsetting so that it works for them and helps them progress to Net Zero emissions effectively and efficiently.
If you’re interested in learning more about the CCRP, or in joining our programme, then click on the link to get in touch and find out more about how we can help you on your journey to a smaller carbon footprint.
Oliver Collins is Marketing Manager for Contractors
