Business Carbon offsetting for healthy future

Global warming is more than a hot-button issue these days as the quality of our air continues to decrease. As carbon dioxide (CO2) is a normal part of the air, but it's also one of the major greenhouse gases. At normal levels, CO2 traps some heat in the earth's atmosphere and lets some escape. (This process is known as the greenhouse effect.) But high levels of CO2 and other greenhouse gases trap too much heat in the earth's atmosphere, causing global warming. Scientific investigations over many decades point to human activity as the primary cause of global warming because humans need energy for just about any type of function they perform. Burning fossil fuels as a natural energy resource leads to the emission of vast quantities of carbon dioxide gas (CO2), which is considered a major cause of global warming.

As we all are responsible for global warming and each of us contributes to climate change with our daily activities; businesses cause more carbon footprints by using a great deal of energy. Total amount of greenhouse gases produced to support a business, includes those caused by direct and indirect emissions. Direct emissions are emissions from sources that a company owns or controls such as vehicle fleets or natural-gas fired boilers. Indirect emissions are a consequence of actions at a business, but occur at sources owned or operated by another company such as emissions associated with electricity, heat and/or steam use. The challenge of dealing with the impact of carbon emissions is an area that has been long overlooked by the global community.

Because businesses play an important role in climate change, they should be aware about their carbon footprints. A starting point for addressing the carbon footprint of business operations is to assess current carbon emissions. It is important to measure your business's carbon footprint because if you cannot measure it, you cannot change it! By reducing your company's consumption of electricity, fuel and resources like paper; you can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. Another option to address the carbon footprint of business operations without making any of the changes your resources is to purchase carbon offset credits. These credits are an investment in environmentally friendly projects, such as tree planting projects, and are a form of compensation to the environment for the harm caused by business operations.

Reducing emissions can benefit your business in many ways, including reducing costs, boosting your market positioning and branding, and improving efficiency and competitiveness. Your efforts to reduce your organization’s carbon emissions will also demonstrate a real commitment to environmental responsibility. Business has the power to change the world - and you have the power to change business. As an employer it’s your responsibility to estimate Carbon Footprint of your business to reduce CO2 emissions and ensure healthy future for your employees and coming generations. You should take your step towards carbon offsetting as quickly as possible to avert the most damage.Business carbon offsets gives you the power to reduce your carbon emissions by making your business “carbon neutral”.