After doing everything else to reduce carbon emissions, one way for companies and individuals to take responsibility for whatever emissions remain is carbon offsetting. Suston meets with Myclimate’s Marketing Manager Kai Landwehr to learn more.

Myclimate helps several outdoor brands looking to meet their emissions goals. But there still seems to be a fair amount of confusion surrounding carbon offsetting. Can you explain what Myclimate does?

We are a partner for climate protection and sustainability for private individuals as well as for companies of any scale. With our work, we want to contribute to a low-carbon economy – to enable our partners to do their best and offset the rest. That said, most people know Myclimate as a provider for voluntary CO2 offsetting.

Offsetting is about taking responsibility – the polluters pay principle – rather than about buying free of “sins.” Our approach is a pragmatic one: climate protection must not fail because of a tedi- ous and confusing process, which unfortunately is still far too often the case today.

Can you tell a bit about how the process works?

First off, you can only manage what you have measured. So, each commitment to climate pro- tection begins with a calculation. Having calculated CO2 emissions related to a product, an event, a flight or even a whole company, we put a price tag to this result. This price corresponds to the costs of reducing exactly the same amount of CO2 elsewhere with full traceability.

To this end, we offer around 100 projects, certified and externally monitored, with which emissions can then be offset. Some examples include micro biogas plants, solar home systems, efficient cooking stoves, community reforestation projects etc.

How does offsetting relate to the Paris Agreement’s 1.5–2°C goal?

As a society, we will only achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement if we make use of all the possi- bilities available to us. Time is a decisive factor. We firmly believe that we will achieve a decarbonized economy through the principle of “avoid, reduce and compensate.” Yet as long as our economy, our mobility, our consumption and our lifestyles are still heavily dependent on fossil fuels, offsetting is a very effective “bridge technology.”

 

Photo: Myclimate

Jonathan Eidse
jonathan.eidse@norragency.com
No Comments

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

More Stories

Aku Launches “Impacto”

Aku offers retailers Impacto, the first manual of its kind that estimates CO2 emissions from outdoor footwear. The issue of environmental impact will continue to be a central topic in the outdoor industry.

By AKU

‘Impossible to meet climate goals if we keep mowing down forests for boxes and t-shirts’

Most people won’t climb K2. What are the environmental and inclusivity implications of over-engineering gear as if they will?

By Nicole Rycroft

A deforestation-free call to action for the leather industry

Global non-profit Textile Exchange’s Deforestation-Free Call to Action for Leather initiative is a rallying cry for companies to commit to sourcing their bovine leather from deforestation-free supply chains by 2030 or earlier. But is it “too little, too late” for our rainforests?

By Hannah Mitchell

2022/23 ski season “a wake-up call”

From shockingly low snowfall in the Alps to headline-making climate action, outgoing president of Protect Our Winters Europe, Sören Ronge, reflects on the epic winter of ’22-’23 – and what’s in store moving forward.

By Sören Ronge

More News

Suston Monthly Newsletter

We all know about the problems - Suston uses constructive journalism to help guide, inspire and push the outdoor community towards finding and enacting the solutions.

Receive the latest stories each month by signing up for the Suston Monthly today!

Sign up