Introduction to carbon neutrality

This article introduces the concept of carbon neutrality of an organisation in the context of Pathzero’s service offering.

What is carbon neutrality?

Carbon neutral means reducing emissions where possible, and compensating for the remainder by investing in carbon offset projects to achieve net zero overall emissions for a given time period.

Carbon neutrality has become an increasingly important concept in recent years as the world has become more aware of the impact that human activities are having on the planet.

By achieving carbon neutrality, the organisation demonstrates its commitment to sustainability and taking responsibility for its impact on the environment. Carbon neutrality is often seen as an important step towards achieving long-term sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions globally.

Carbon neutrality: how to get started

Measure

The first step in becoming carbon neutral is to measure your current greenhouse gas inventory.

This involves calculating the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions that your activities or operations generate. This can include emissions from energy use, transportation, waste disposal, and any other activities that generate carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases.

Reduce

To become carbon neutral, an organisation typically then takes steps to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, by increasing energy efficiency, using renewable energy sources, reducing waste or working collaboratively with partners.

Offset

Any remaining emissions that cannot be eliminated through reduction initiatives are offset by purchasing carbon credits, or investing in carbon offset projects that reduce emissions or remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Report

The final step is to report the results of the carbon neutrality claim, including measurement, reduction initiatives, and offset projects.

This helps to demonstrate the organisation’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to the overall transparency and accountability of the carbon neutrality claim.

Reporting can also help to identify areas for improvement and set new targets for future carbon neutrality claims.