#PledgeForOurPlanet: Offset your carbon emission with B1G1
The commemoration of Earth Day 2021 will be unlike any other.
Despite the drastic changes to life as we knew it, the COVID-19 pandemic has also brought with it a silver (or green) lining. In 2020, global pollution levels dropped, particularly in urban areas. As reported by CNBC, there was a record-breaking reduction of approximately 2.4 billion tons of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, a 7% drop from 2019. The BBC has also reported that although carbon emissions have been on the rise in recent years, they had fallen by 17% in 2020.
The pandemic has allowed the world to move several steps in the right direction towards the building of a more sustainable world. Although atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide continue to be on the rise, the emission reductions of 2020 have helped to slow down the rate of this increase.
However, these lowered levels of pollution may not be here to stay, especially as life slowly shifts back to normalcy. Beyond battling the pandemic, it is important for us to tackle the climate problem we have been and will continue to face – one that will change the way we live in the long run.
This Earth Day, join us as we #PledgeForOurPlanet – to protect and preserve our only home.
What is Carbon Offsetting?
Carbon offsetting involves reducing one’s damage to the environment by compensating for the amount of carbon dioxide we emit from our activities.
This is often done through the funding of environment-friendly initiatives that remove, reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, environment-neutral or even environment-positive effects can be created!
Why is it beneficial?
Carbon offsetting is more than reducing guilt about the carbon footprints we leave on this Earth or an excuse to continue leaving such footprints. Carbon offsetting allows us the amazing opportunity to do our best to neutralize our damage to the Earth while seeking for sustainable alternatives to reduce our carbon emissions in our businesses and personal lives.
Although there are many who do their parts to reduce the damage on the environment, there will be those who do not or who are unable to do so. Through carbon offsetting, we are also able to help to reduce the damage by others as well.
But just how much carbon dioxide do I and my business produce?
It is essential to note that most of our daily activities produce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The energy you use to power your appliances may be generated from burning coal, oil or natural gas. To produce the food you consume and the clothes you wear, a significant amount of greenhouse gas is generated in the process as well.
Just in terms of energy usage alone, a micro-business with 1 to 10 employees generates on average 7 tonnes of carbon dioxide yearly, whereas individual carbon emission can vary from as low as 1.9 ton per year in India to 18 tonnes per year in Saudi Arabia.
How do I offset my business carbon emission with B1G1?
In celebration of Earth Day this year, we're bringing you the Carbon Offset Bundles that help you offset your business' carbon emission.
Each bundle contains a 3-in-1 combination of tree planting, solar power provision, and a food wastage reduction projects – all of which contribute to offsetting one ton of CO2.
While it may be easier to create a bundle that simply plants trees, trees take time to grow and hence its positive impact on the environment will take time to materialize. Projects that provide solar power to families in need and food waste reduction projects would, however, give an immediate solution to reducing CO2 emissions.
Research shows that people in countries like Kenya and India are still using kerosene lamps for lighting and cooking, which produces a staggering amount of CO2 (200gram per kWh). By switching to solar powered appliances which only emits 40g CO2 per kWh, we would be able to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 80%!
On the other hand, in many countries, food wastage is a huge problem. One ton of food wastage can emit up to an equivalent of 2.5 tonnes of CO2. Thus, by reducing food wastage, carbon emissions can also be helpfully reduced.
By combining projects that plant trees, provide solar power to families and reduce food waste, we created an impact bundle with short- and long-term solutions to reduce CO2 emissions.
In short, here's what it takes to offset 1 ton of CO2:
- Plant 17 trees
- Rescue 2kg of food
- And provide 1 month of access to solar light to a family
What does that look like for me?
If you’re looking for an easy way to estimate and offset carbon emissions for yourself, your team or your office, our carbon offset bundles will be perfect for you!
- If you’re operating entirely online, you can choose to offset your own personal carbon emission and encourage your team members to offset theirs; OR even help offset all your team members’ carbon emission.
- If you have a physical office, you can opt to offset your office energy consumption. Additionally, you can choose to offset your own carbon emission as well.
All of this can be done simply by giving to either or both of the Individual and Office Carbon Offset Bundles here.
Here’s an example. Combining both the Individual Carbon Offset and Office Energy Carbon Offset bundles, a micro-business in Europe with 5 employees with a physical office may choose to offset individual carbon emissions for everyone in the business as well as their business’s energy consumption.
With US$58.83 per month for a year, this micro-business would be able offset both their office energy consumption and all their employees' carbon emission by planting 1,080 trees, providing 72 months of access to solar power to families in need and rescuing 132 kg of food.
#PledgeForOurPlanet with B1G1
This year, let us #PledgeForOurPlanet by committing to offset our monthly carbon emission – be it our own, our team, or our office energy consumption! Take your first step here.
But let us not stop there. Offsetting carbon is only the one step in protecting our environment – what we do every day matters too! As we seek to offset our carbon emissions, let us also aim to reduce the amount of carbon we emit and become more sustainable, as much as we can.
Here are some tips on how to reduce carbon emission.