While Mohawk Fine Papers has been offsetting carbon emissions since 2006, and has offered carbon neutral papers since 2007, not many companies in our industry have taken to carbon offsets. Things were quiet until this past April when Sandy Alexander committed its eSA Solutions group to carbon neutrality. So let's find out more about carbon offsets and how they can be used. In his weekly newsletter, Science Matters, David Suzuki explains carbon offsets in an understandable way. Whether you agree with his politics or not, his explanation is extremely helpful. What are carbon offsets? Why should we be aware of them? Do they have value? First, let's start with a definition. Carbon offsets are essentially a service whereby the purchaser pays someone else to create greenhouse gas reductions on his or her behalf. Investing in solar cooking stoves for a rural African village is one example. This allows purchasers to take responsibility for their climate impact and show leadership on climate change. Here's what David has to say about them:

Take carbon offsets. Some people compare them to "indulgences" granted by the church allowing sinners to avoid punishment for some transgressions. Others argue that offsets can be one of many legitimate tools used to tackle climate change, and that high-quality carbon offsets can result in real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon offsets are becoming an increasingly popular way for individuals, businesses, and even governments to reduce their impact on the environment. The "voluntary" carbon market, made up of all these purchases of carbon offsets, increased in value globally from $305 million in 2007 to $460 million in 2008. If you add in the offsets that are used in national and international regulatory programs, such as the Kyoto Protocol and European Emissions Trading System, the total carbon market now approaches $139 billion a year.

Read his newsletter or download his guide to purchasing carbon offsets. (Note: In his guide David focuses on purchasing carbon offsets in Canada, however much of the information could be helpful in the U.S. We are not advising for or against purchasing carbon offsets; this information is provided as a service for our readers.)