carbon offset

English

Noun

carbon offset (plural carbon offsets)

1. A reduction in carbon dioxide emission by a third party purchased by a heavy carbon dioxide producer as part of carbon emissions trading.
   • 2016, Jayson Lusk, Unnaturally Delicious, →ISBN, page 28:

     Today, if you want to counter the carbon impacts you create from flying, you too can buy carbon offsets.

   • 2019 June 3, Andy Newman, “If Seeing the World Helps Ruin It, Should We Stay Home?”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     Carbon offsets do seem to offer the most direct way to assuage traveler’s guilt. In theory, they magically expiate your sins.

   • 2021 May 4, Patrick Greenfield, “Carbon offsets used by major airlines based on flawed system, warn experts”, in The Guardian‎^[2], retrieved 2021-05-04:

     Money from carbon offsets can provide vital financial support for projects seeking to protect and restore some of the most beautiful threatened ecosystems around the world.

   • 2022 August 22, Adrian Horton, “John Oliver on corporate ‘net zero’ proposals: ‘We cannot offset our way out of climate change’”, in The Guardian‎^[3]:

     Carbon offsets are a popular route for reaching “net zero” – Oliver cited one study which found that two-thirds of companies in heavily polluting industries relied on offsets instead of emissions reductions to reach carbon neutrality.

Synonyms

• CO₂ offset

Derived terms

• carbon inset

Translations

reduction in carbon dioxide emission

• Catalan: compensació de carboni f
• Danish: CO₂-kompensation c
• German: CO₂-Ausgleich m, Klimakompensation f, Emissionsausgleich m, (uncommon) Kohlenstoffausgleich m
• Irish: cúiteamh carbóin m
• Spanish: compensación de carbono f
• Swedish: klimatkompensation c