Personal tools
You are here: Home → What We Do → Projects → Sustainability Projects → Footprints and Offsets
Log in


Forgot your password?
 

Footprints and Offsets

footprint

With the growing awareness surrounding climate change, we are all becoming conscious of the fact that each of our actions has an effect on the overall health of our planet.  However, with all the hype and press surrounding this issue, it is easy to become confused and overwhelmed by the amount of information out there, a lot of which seems to contradict itself.

If we want to go that extra mile, and attempt to really change the impact we have, such as by going carbon neutral, it can be hard to know where to start.  What are the steps to undertaking such as venture? Where can you find more information. Below we guide you through some of the basics, and point you in the right direction to find out more.

  1. First of all, start by doing all you can to reduce your emissions. All the usual suspects can be found here: drive less, vacation closer to home, buy local and organic, turn off the lights, lower the thermostat, recycle, compost, and so forth.
  2. Decide what emissions you want to offset. You can start with one activity, such as air travel or driving, focus on one event, such as a conference or party, or offset all the emissions you create either individually, or for your business.
  3. Calculate your emissions. There are different kinds of calculators. Some focus on one major activity, like flights, others look at your entire lifestyle. There is also a difference between ecological footprint calculator and carbon calculators. To go carbon neutral, the carbon footprint calculators will be of most use, as they measure how much carbon dioxide your activities emit.  However, ecological footprint calculators are also interesting as they allow you to see how many hectares/acres are necessary for you to live the life you lead (and looks at how many planets we would need if everyone lived like you). Note that its normal that each calculator will give you slightly different results. Different groups use different methodologies, and depending on how detailed their questionnaire is, your answer will vary. However, the calculators are there to give you a general idea.
  4. Purchase carbon offsets. Once you have looked at how many tonnes of emissions you produce, you can try lowering them by changing your activities. This is the best option. However, it is impossible to live fully carbon-emission free.  Thus, you might wish to buy carbon offsets for those emissions you cannot eliminate from your lifestyle.  There are many carbon offset companies out there. The David Suzuki link above has  a very thorough list. Some are cheaper than others, but its important to look for  the quality of the offset, not to just bargain hunt (if that's all you cared about, one assumes you wouldnt be buying carbon offsets in the first place). To learn more about carbon offsets.
  5. Review how you are doing annually. See if you cant make lifestyle changes that will lower your footprint. If you have only been offsetting air travel, try adding another activity to your offsets.

Some other resources

  • Resources for businesses
  • Other tools: This is a host of tools that have been designed for different specific uses, including measuring footprint of an office, CO2 calculator, business footprint calculator, etc

For business counseling

Document Actions