What is carbon offsetting?

Overview of carbon offsetting

What is carbon offsetting?

Carbon offsetting refers to the compensation of CO₂ emissions caused by human activities such as the use of energy and transport. This can be done through supporting carbon offset projects aiming to remove an equivalent volume of CO₂ from the atmosphere and thereby neutralising the effects of the emissions. Private individuals, companies and governments can offset carbon through direct investment in CO₂ offsetting measures. The cost of carbon offsets can vary per tonne of CO₂ and depends on a number of factors such as the quality of the project, the length of the project and how much CO₂ is to be offset. Carbon offsetting can be achieved by either supporting projects that reduce CO₂ emissions or those that neutralise CO₂ emissions. The quality of the offset project determines whether offsetting CO₂ is a viable option. If you want to offset carbon with ForTomorrow, you can choose between planting trees in Germany or decommissioning EU emission rights.

For example:

With ForTomorrow we combine the two CO₂ offsetting approaches to be able to offset CO₂ in Europe as effectively as possible.

Reduce CO₂: Buy EU emission rights and set them aside so that the EU is forced to emit less CO₂.
Absorb CO₂: Plant trees in Germany to remove already emitted CO₂ out of the air.

You offset CO₂ at ForTomorrow by deleting emission rights and planting trees in Germany

Why choose carbon offsetting?

Carbon offsetting is a tool used to compensate for greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide (CO₂), are one of the main drivers of climate change and have a negative impact on the environment and society. Through carbon offsetting, companies and individuals can offset their own carbon footprint by investing in projects that save or sequester a comparable amount of CO₂. ForTomorrow is a carbon offset provider that effectively offsets CO₂ in Europe through replanting forests and removing EU emission rights from the market.

Is carbon offsetting worthwhile?

Whether carbon offsetting is worthwhile depends on the ability of the climate protection measure to really reduce CO₂. Carbon offsetting is essential to efforts aiming to reduce CO₂ emissions and combat climate change. It is important to carefully review the practices and methods behind carbon offsetting to ensure their effectiveness. Our approach at ForTomorrow is to offset CO₂ by replanting forests in Germany and taking EU emission rights away from CO₂ emitters. For example, when you buy EU emission rights through ForTomorrow, you ensure that coal-fired power plants have fewer CO₂ rights available. This means that they have to reduce their CO₂ emissions. In other words, you are reducing CO₂ emissions right on your doorstep and that is what makes ForTomorrow’s offset approach so special.

The cost of carbon offsetting

How much does it cost to offset one tonne of CO₂?

The cost of offsetting a tonne of CO₂ can vary depending on the provider and the project. At ForTomorrow, the cost of offsetting one tonne of CO₂ by planting trees is 25 euros. Offsetting a tonne of CO₂ by buying emission rights costs 121 euros, and if you combine the two, it comes to 73 euros. This means that when you offset carbon with ForTomorrow through high-quality climate protection in Europe, you pay between 25 and 121 euros per tonne of CO₂, depending on the offsetting method. Our price reflects our high standard of carbon offsetting.

How much do CO₂ emission rights cost?

It is important to know that there is a distinction between carbon credits that companies can buy from the voluntary market and official EU emission rights. The prices for carbon credits from the voluntary market lie at around 25-30 euros per tonne of CO₂. These credits generally aim to offset CO₂ by planting trees or implementing other projects in the southern part of the globe. However, it is important to note that more and more often it has been observed that carbon credits from the voluntary market do not achieve the climate protection effect they promise. We therefore focus on EU emission rights. EU emission rights are the official climate protection tool of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS). To offset one tonne of CO₂ through EU-ETS, you pay 121 euros at ForTomorrow. This price reflects the high-quality climate protection effect in Europe.

How does emissions trading work?

With ForTomorrow we offer carbon offsetting in Germany and Europe.

What do you need to know about CO₂ sequestration?

What best sequesters CO₂?

Trees play an important role in CO₂ sequestration. Through the process of photosynthesis, trees absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it in their wood, leaves and roots. This process helps to slow down the increase of CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere. Trees thus help to combat climate change by storing CO₂. Therefore, it is important to maintain and promote tree populations to improve CO₂ sequestration.

What sequesters the most CO₂?

There is no clear answer to this question, as it depends on many factors, such as cost, availability and efficiency. Some of the main systems and materials that sequester CO₂ are: Trees and plants: Through the process of photosynthesis, trees and plants absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it in their wood, leaves and roots. Biochar: Biochar is a highly porous, carbon-rich material obtained from biogenic waste such as plant residues and manure (also referred to as biomass). The biomass is burned in the absence of air at high temperatures to produce biochar. Biochar has a high potential for CO₂ sequestration as it is a stable form of carbon that is retained over long periods of time. It can be incorporated into the soil to improve soil structure and fertility while sequestering CO₂ from the atmosphere. Peatlands also play an important role in CO₂ sequestration. Their potential capacity for carbon absorption and storage is high, especially the sequestration potential of the peat moss soils. Which of these is the best for sequestering CO₂ depends on the specific needs and requirements of their application. However, in terms of the amount of carbon sequestered, trees and plants can make a significant contribution. Reforestation is one of the most effective methods of carbon sequestration, as trees and plants can absorb large amounts of CO₂. Offsetting carbon by planting trees is therefore still the most efficient way to get CO₂ out of the air.

Which plants absorb CO₂?

There are many plant species that absorb CO₂ through photosynthesis, but some of the best CO₂ sequestering plants are trees, algae and grasses. If you would like to know how much CO₂ a tree absorbs, feel free to read our article: How much CO₂ does a tree absorb per year?

Can you remove CO₂ from the atmosphere?

Yes, there are technologies that can remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, but these are still in the development stage and are mainly used in industrial applications. Carbon offsetting by planting trees in Germany is an effective way to protect the climate.

Planting trees is an effective way to offset CO₂

Summary of the article

Carbon offsetting refers to the process by which companies and individuals offset their CO₂ emissions by investing in projects that remove or sequester the amount of CO₂ in question. The cost of carbon offsetting can vary and depends on different factors such as the project and the amount of CO₂ emissions to be offset. ForTomorrow is a carbon offset provider that offers carbon offsetting in Europe. With ForTomorrow, you can replant forests and remove EU emission rights from the market to help offset CO₂ in Europe. It is important to ensure that carbon offset projects are effective by carefully reviewing the practices and methodologies behind them.

Conclusion

Carbon offsetting is a tool that helps to reduce CO₂ emissions and combat climate change. It is important to carefully review the practices and methodologies behind carbon offset projects to ensure they have the promised impact. ForTomorrow offers an effective approach to carbon offsetting in Europe by replanting forests and removing EU emission rights from the market. Moreover, ForTomorrow is a gGmbH, i.e. a non-profit organisation. If you want to offset your CO₂ emissions with ForTomorrow, you can deduct your donation from your taxes.

Overview of carbon offsetting