Per this article, carbon credits face scrutiny as a corporate path to carbon neutrality and Net Zero.
The article states that many companies are trying to buy their way to credibility, by using carbon credits to enhance their reputation, rather than using the credits as part of a sustainability plan.
We completely agree and will not help organizations that are not willing to develop a plan and execution to transition away from the use of carbon credits.
Our analogy of carbon credits is to think of them as training wheels for your bicycle. Remember when you received your first bike? You desperately wanted to ride it, but did not yet know how to balance yourself. So your parents installed training wheels on the bike. This was wonderful at first. But then the neighbor kids starting teasing you and you wanted to get rid of those training wheels as fast as possible. So you worked hard at learning how to ride that bike without the training wheels and used them less and less, until, you no longer needed them.
Think of carbon credits the same way.
We tell all our clients the process they should take is to start with pursuit and achievement of sustainability certification. With the proper sustainability certification program, you will have action items for reduction of your carbon.
Then, with your sustainability certification action item list in hand, get your carbon footprint report done, so you can see what your current and future exposure is.
With the proper sustainability plan and execution, your carbon footprint should trend downward every year.
This allows you to use (audited and legitimate) carbon credits, IN THE SHORT TERM, to address the gap; knowing that next year you will use less, and the next year even less, until, just like the training wheels, you no longer need the carbon credits.
In this way, the carbon credits are used in conjunction with your sustainability plan, at progressively reduced amounts, as you pursue carbon neutrality or Net Zero, as part of your sustainability plan.
If you are seeking carbon neutrality or Net Zero status, Edenark Group can help you with the process and certification. However, don’t call us if all you want to do is buy carbon credits year after year. We can’t support that.