We are delighted to announce that we have offset our CO2 emissions for the year 2023 through myclimate Foundation in Zurich, with whom we have worked for several years. Having a carefully selected partner in this area is important for two reasons.
Firstly, it is crucial that the calculation of our emissions is robust. When we were looking for a way to calculate them back in 2019, we came across a number of online calculators that claimed to do so, and it was noticeable how different they were. One well-known name in the space had a calculator that include car journeys, but no other modes of transport. Perhaps the logic was that, if the bus or train is running anyway, getting on it does not create any additional carbon footprint. However, we felt instinctively that this was wrong, and allowed companies to paint an artificially positive picture of their emissions. We chose myclimate because the data that they required from us was the most comprehensive, so it felt ‘real’ to us. Furthermore, over the years that we have worked with them, they have continued to deepen the data set that they require, seeking to make the calculation as accurate as possible.
Secondly, we need an expert partner that can vet offsetting projects to ensure that they are of a suitable standard. There have been many examples over the years of money being wasted in poorly managed ones, or ones that take so many years to have an impact that they are not meaningful. By using myclimate, we believe we can avoid such traps, which are often associated with ‘greenwashing’, and make a meaningful contribution to reducing climate change.
In spite of myclimate having expanded their data set again this year, our total CO2 generated was very similar to last year (23.9 tonnes versus 23.5). This plauteauing, after having reduced from high levels in previous years, may mean that we have reached a ‘natural’ level below which it will be hard to go. After all, we have to turn on the lights and heating when we work. However, we continue to search for ways to reduce our footprint further, and let us see what the next year brings.
