Once the carbon footprint has been calculated, the next step should be to reduce or offset the emissions generated. The overall objective to tackle climate change should be to reduce the total carbon footprint. This is done by radically transforming the company's economic model and value chain. To achieve this, the focus should be on reducing emissions generated by purchasing processes, distribution, water and waste management, energy used and, above all, emissions related to the production process, i.e. reducing emissions per product or per unit of revenue.
Even when all these reduction activities are implemented, it is difficult to achieve being carbon neutral. Thus, it is possible to compensate for the carbon footprint that has not yet been reduced.
Offsetting the carbon footprint is achieved by supporting projects that absorb an equivalent amount to the tons of CO2 generated by the company's activities. These projects can be the following: energy saving, substitution of fossil fuels with renewable energies, waste treatment, conservation of areas threatened by deforestation or the creation of carbon sinks through reforestation. These projects also provide other benefits, improving the well-being of the areas where they are carried out through the generation of employment and the improvement of services.
Carbon footprint offsetting is a cost-effective and efficient mechanism. As such, it plays a fundamental role in the fight against climate change, but it has to go hand in hand with reduction efforts in order to reach goals that will provide a long-term solution to the environmental crisis.
Thank you for reading this far, you can learn more about how Dcycle allows you to measure and offset your carbon footprint here.
