Carbon offsetting is based on calculating how much CO2 is emitted by a certain activity that you are doing, and then funding a project designed to reduce carbon emissions by the same amount elsewhere, such as renewable energy or forestry. This is supposed to “neutralise” the effect of your emissions.
There are hundreds of carbon offsetting organisations out there and numerous potential ways and ideas on how to offset CO2 generated. After extensive research, we decided the project run by an organisation created by the WWF would be our partner of choice.
The Gold Standard run a number of projects that seek to immediately reduce CO2 being produced now but also have secondary benefits for people living in some of the poorest parts of the world.
Safe Water Access in Rwanda
This Gold Standard project works with local groups and NGOs in Rwanda to deliver clean, safe water by identifying and rehabilitating broken-down boreholes. An ongoing maintenance programme, alongside water sanitation and hygiene training, ensures a safe and reliable community water supply is maintained.
Each of the 12 micro-projects under this programme prevent 10,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions.
What this means for local people.
As well as reducing emissions and helping our climate, this project provides:
– A supply of clean safe water for communities
– Reduced incidence of waterborne diseases and diarrhoea, lifting the burden of disease on people’s livelihoods
– Less time spent collecting water (traditional sources, such as open wells and rivers, are often far away and highly seasonal)
– Less time and effort spent collecting wood to boil and sanitise water
– Reduced expenditure on wood fuel, leaving money free for other household expenses
– Reduced pressure on local wildlife and ecosystems due to reduced deforestation