Denver News Blog

Carbon offsets aim to neutralize the amount of Co2 emissions contribution by funding projects which should cause an equal reduction of emissions somewhere else, such as tree planting. Under the premise, first reduce what you can, then offset the remainder, offsetting can be done by supporting a responsible carbon project, or by buying carbon credits. Offsetting is sometimes seen as a charged and contentious issue. For example, Carbon Trade Watch describes offsets as “modern day indulgences, sold to an increasingly carbon-conscious public to absolve their climate sins.”