What is additionality in climate protection?

What does additionality mean in the context of climate protection?

Additionality in the context of climate protection means that climate conservation measures must be additional to what is already legally required or expected.

It is about ensuring that the measures actually achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and do not simply replace or undermine existing climate protection activities.

For example: imagine a hydropower plant somewhere in the world. This plant is usually profitable and finances itself. Using it to offset your carbon footprint would therefore not be additional. The plant finances itself. No additional CO₂ is saved here. The plant would run regardless of your contribution and the CO₂ would be saved anyway. This is a classic example of no additionality.

At ForTomorrow, on the other hand, additionality is the main principle guiding our approach. We only plant forests in places where no forests would otherwise be created. We buy emission rights away from the market. If we didn’t buy away these emission rights, no one would. With your support, we prevent companies from using emission rights and emitting CO₂. This is how we additionally and measurably save CO₂.

Why is additionality important in CO₂ offsetting?

CO₂ offsetting is about the compensation of greenhouse gas emissions through projects such as afforestation or the cancellation of emission rights.

It is important that these projects are carried out in addition to those that are already taking place, otherwise no additional reduction in emissions would be achieved.

What role does additionality play in the evaluation of climate protection measures?

Additionality plays an important role in the evaluation of climate protection measures. It is used to ensure that the measures actually achieve an additional reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and do not simply replace or undermine existing climate protection activities. This helps in ascertaining that the climate protection measures are effective and achieve maximum impact.

How can you ensure that climate protection measures are actually additional and do not simply replace existing activities?

To ensure that climate protection measures are additional and do not merely replace existing activities, they must be evaluated in reference to a baseline scenario. This baseline scenario, also known as the reference scenario, shows what would have happened if the measure had not been implemented. If the measure results in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that is not already included in the baseline scenario, then it is considered additional.

What are examples of additional climate protection measures?

Buying and cancelling emission rights

At ForTomorrow, we buy CO₂ emission rights away from industry and set them aside to get cancelled so they can no longer be used. Every emission right we buy and cancel means one tonne less CO₂ in the atmosphere. The number of emission rights released by the EU is capped each year.

We reduce the total number of CO₂ emission rights available on the market. As a result, using up a tonne of CO₂ becomes more expensive for industry. Large CO₂ emitters then have an incentive to switch to renewable energies in order to save CO₂.

If you want to know more, please read our article on EU emissions trading.

Planting forests in Germany

At ForTomorrow, we also plant climate-resilient mixed forests in Germany. This is how we remove CO₂ from the atmosphere.

In 2021 and 2023, we planted a total of 22,000 trees. You can find the exact locations of our climate forests on this map. For more information, please read our article about afforestation.