leroideschoux's profile

Many companies are now offering to "offset" emissions from activities such as flying - this means that they promise to invest your money in reducing emissions in other countries. However, it is vitally important that we in the UK reduce our own emissions - and offsetting should not be used as an excuse for people or companies in the UK to continue high-carbon or polluting activities that could easily be avoided. Another concern is that there are no clear rules to guarantee that offset providers are selling genuine emission reductions. WWF recommends that if you do use an offsetting scheme, make sure it is certified to the Gold Standard, an independent scheme set up to make sure that emission reduction projects are truly sustainable. Some offset providers that offer Gold Standard schemes include Myclimate, Atmosfair and Climate Friendly.

Did you know: Aviation has the fastest growing carbon emissions of any industry sector. Before booking a flight consider whether there is a viable alternative - such as a coach, train or ferry - or even take holidays closer to home. Cutting down on one long-haul flight a year could reduce your transport footprint by 24%. It is now becoming clearer that flying has an even greater impact on climate change than previously thought as it is likely that emissions of greenhouse gases at high altitudes have between 2 and 4 times more impact on climate change than at ground level