Carbon Offset Solutions

Carbon emissions or greenhouse gas emissions are a variety of different gases that when released into the atmosphere contribute to the greenhouse effect. These gasses disrupt the energy balance of the earth and bring about abnormal changes in the global environment. Carbon gases are usually emitted during activities that generate and/or utilize energy.

The National Greenhouse Gas Inventory is a list of all greenhouse gases and the list includes:
* Carbon dioxide (CO2)
* Methane (CH4)
* Nitrous oxide (N2O)
* Perfluorocarbons (PFC)
* Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC)
* Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)


Carbon offset solutions or greenhouse gas solutions are the currently the primary available solutions to carbon emissions. A carbon offset is an act of mitigating emissions of carbon gases made in one area to compensate for an emission made elsewhere. Carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) is the unit of measure used for carbon gases and greenhouse offset solutions. One unit of carbon offset is equal to a one metric ton carbon gas reduction.


Carbon Offset Solutions Market
Compliance Market
Majority of clients who buy carbon offsets buy in order for their emissions to be within the limit prescribed by law. An average of around $10 billion is spent every year on greenhouse gas offsets which is equal to around 3 billion metric tons of CO2e reductions.


Voluntary Market
The minority of carbon offset clients is composed of companies, or governments who voluntarily purchase greenhouse offsets even if their emissions are already within the prescribed limit. These entities use offset solutions to lessen their own carbon emissions from daily or routinely activities. Individuals can use the offsets in their utilities while companies can integrate the offsets in their sales to make their products or services more eco-friendly. The voluntary market purchases around $1 billion offset solutions which is equivalent to around 160 million metric tons of CO2e reductions.


The sustainability industry or the use of renewable energy is the primary means of generating carbon offset solutions. More financial support given to wind power, biomass energy, hydro power, wave power, and biosphere gasification technologies equates to more available carbon offsets. Energy efficiency projects such as heat trapping building structures also contribute to greenhouse offsets, as well as forestry and replanting activities and programs to destroy pollutants.


Carbon offsetting has become more popular and widely used after the realization that global warming is a fact and is drastically changing our climate and weather patterns as well as the whole of the global environment. Carbon offsets have now become a requirement in energy intensive industries and lifestyles. Governments have also adopted carbon credits in which entities that use offsets are rewarded with carbon credits which they can accumulate and use for trading in the marketplace.


Greenhouse offsetting is a vital process that needs to be sustained to slow the pace of global warming. Carbon offsets coupled with green energy technologies can ultimately save our planet from the destruction man has brought forth to it.