The Need for Business Carbon Offsetting

Green and sustainability, this is fast becoming the focus of many corporations and business. Carbon offsetting offers these businesses an opportunity to cut their carbon emissions through the use of alternative sources of energy to limit their carbon imprints. The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement between countries that aims to reduce carbon emissions and find alternative sources of energy. It is aimed at limiting each countries greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, manufacturing and energy production. The United Kingdom is an active participant in the Kyoto protocol and has instituted policies aimed at reducing and limiting the production of carbon gasses. This is why as part of these efforts the government has sanctioned the use of business carbon offsetting companies to compensate for a company's carbon imprint. In line with the use carbon offsetting, the English government has set standards for companies offering carbon offsetting to safeguard business and individuals using these services. Salient points include accurate measurement and record of emissions to be offset. Use of carbon offsetting practices that are compliant with those set in the Kyoto Protocol. However, the use of business carbon offsetting services has it shares of detractors too. That the use of carbon offsetting does not provide a long term solution to increasing greenhouse emissions but only mask the real effects of carbon release to the environment. Some of these practices for example include hiring their services to offset carbon emissions from personal travel. European countries including the UK continue to play an active role in reducing harmful greenhouse emissions. A large part of these could be attributed to the use of carbon offsetting and the conscious effort of individuals and companies in using renewable, environment friendly sources of energy. Whatever the controversies surrounding the use of carbon offsetting, the simple fact remains that carbon offsetting represents a step in the right direction. Education will play a continuing part in raising the necessary awareness, to ensure the commitment of the next generation to improving the state of the atmosphere. The next decade will prove pivotal in shifting both carbon levels and attitude to a sustainable level.