Companies, processes, and products where CO2 emissions have been calculated and offset by supporting internationally recognized carbon offset projects are considered climate neutral. In addition to preventing and reducing CO2 emissions, offsetting these is another important step in global climate protection. Greenhouse gases such as CO2 are distributed evenly in the atmosphere, which means that the concentration of greenhouse gases is roughly the same all over the world. In other words, it is irrelevant in terms of concentrated greenhouse gases and their effect where on this planet emissions are caused or prevented. Emissions that cannot be prevented locally, can be offset somewhere else through carbon offset projects.

Carbon offset projects reduce greenhouse gases with proven results and make an important contribution to combating global warming. In addition, they promote sustainable development in the project countries, such as by improving the supply of clean drinking water, expanding local infrastructure, creating jobs, or protecting biodiversity.

A globally recognized standard for measuring these positive effects is provided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. These 17 goals include the fight against poverty and hunger, the promotion of education, and the worldwide spread of clean and affordable energy. In the case of some projects, the additional contribution is so large that in essence they are actually development projects with climate protection as a side effect, and not the other way round.

All carbon offset projects must meet four basic criteria in addition to reducing emissions: Additionality, exclusion of double counting, permanence, and verification by independent third parties.

To prove compliance with the criteria, the projects are certified and audited according to strict criteria, such as the Gold Standard or the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). This ensures and regularly verifies the effectiveness of the projects in terms of climate protection. One of the most important requirements is that the projects really do provide additional climate protection measures and that the contribution to CO2 reduction in the atmosphere is clearly measurable. The following criteria must be met by projects in order to be recognized as carbon offset projects:

a) Additionality

It must be ensured that a project is only being carried out because it receives additional financing through emissions trading. This means that the project must be dependent on revenues from emissions trading to cover its financing needs and also be able to prove this need. Projects that are economically viable in any case and could be achieved without this revenue do not fulfill the criterion and cannot be used to offset CO2 emissions.

b) Exclusion of double counting

It must be ensured that the reduction in CO2 is not already taken into account elsewhere. For example, a solar installation with electricity marketed as green electricity cannot be utilized as a carbon offset project because the positive climate effect is already attributed to electricity.

Moreover, in the process of climate neutralization it must be ensured that the reduced CO2 emissions will only be used once to offset CO2 emissions and that the corresponding certificates will be withdrawn.

c) Permanence

The reduced emissions must be permanent. This criterion is particularly important for afforestation and forest protection projects. In such projects, it must be ensured that the forest areas are maintained for a certain period of time. A forest area that is converted back into a pasture after a few years of slash-and-burn farming cannot be recognized as a carbon offset project.

d) Regular verification by independent third parties

Carbon offset projects must be reviewed by independent third parties at regular intervals with regard to all of the above criteria. They monitor compliance with the relevant standards and determine the amount of CO2 actually reduced retroactively. Progress reports on these projects are therefore prepared regularly.

Forests store CO2, tropical forests even more. For recognized carbon offset projects, there are three methods of creating or maintaining forests as CO2 sinks: afforestation and reforestation; sustainable forest management: only the amount of wood is harvested that can grow back again; and a financial incentive to protect forests as carbon reservoirs (known as REDD+). The project developer must ensure that the areas are not deforested again.

ClimatePartner is a leading solutions provider in climate protection for companies. ClimatePartner helps more than 1,000 companies to calculate and reduce their CO2 emissions, and enables them to offset unavoidable emissions through a wide variety of carbon offset projects. This is how products, services, and companies become climate neutral.

ClimatePartner develops its own exclusive carbon offset projects and cooperates with a global partner network to be able to offer recognized carbon offset projects involving various technologies, regions, and additional benefits for society.

ClimatePartner is considered to be the innovator of the process for climate-neutral print products and was also involved in the preparation of the ISO 16759 standard regarding the carbon offsetting of print products. ClimatePartner ensures transparency by using a clear identification system in conjunction with an IT solution certified by TÜV Austria (Technical Safety Standards Authority).

ClimatePartner was founded in Munich in 2006 and now has 40 employees at sites in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as more than 1,000 clients. The company works closely with environmental associations and is represented by experts in various international committees.

The ride-sharing model is not only efficient and extremely cost-effective, but also ensures there are fewer solo travelers on the road and therefore less pollution. State-of-the-art technology makes the vehicles used by CityLoop exemplary in their class. Nevertheless, there are obviously residual emissions on every journey, and although a CO2 offset cannot avert such emissions, it can at least compensate for them in a certified form. We don’t have to think twice when it comes to supporting a recognized and highly meaningful carbon offset project with every ticket that also allows CityLoop guests to travel climate neutral. Furthermore, we will work diligently to further reduce the emissions of our fleet of first-class cars!