Having a balance between emitting and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere in carbon sinks is referred to as carbon neutrality. All worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are geared to achieve net-zero emissions to be counterbalanced by carbon sequestration. Any system that absorbs more carbon than it emits including forest, soil, and oceans is referred to as a carbon sink. On the necessary scale to fight global warming, to date, there are no artificial carbon sinks that have been able to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Carbon sinks in forests are released into the atmosphere through changes in land use or logging and forest fires. To reach climate neutrality, it’s essential to reduce carbon emissions. How can we achieve this?
Carbon offsetting
To offset emissions made in one sector by reducing them somewhere else to pursue carbon neutrality is a great way to reduce carbon emissions. This can be done through investing in energy-efficient methods, renewable energy, or other clean, low-carbon technologies. Carbon offsetting allows people to make a positive contribution to the environment when their emissions can’t be avoided, which in turn brings social, economic, and health benefits to whole communities. Also, the carbon border adjustment mechanism initiative to reduce emissions should apply carbon prices on imported goods from less climate ambitious countries. This move discourages companies from moving production from a country with strict greenhouse gas emissions rules to one with less stringent rules.
Establish your carbon baseline
Calculating your global carbon footprint is a crucial first step for one to establish their carbon baseline. This process involves assessing the emissions of all business operations including work processes, travel, supplies, and offices. Make sure you have the skills and capacity to capture and track emissions from across your business including service providers and suppliers. There is an international standard for carbon reporting that guides to help you accurately calculate your carbon footprint.
Use a carbon footprint calculator
This calculator highlights areas of our lives that cause the most carbon emissions and allows us to think about the best possible ways to decrease them. These practices make one’s home more energy efficient to decrease both utility bills and personal emissions. These include; turning off heaters and air conditioners when not at home, electronics are turned off and unplugged when not in use, line drying clothes to reduce the energy used to do laundry, programming the thermostat to reduce heating costs, and whenever possible choosing to repair or reuse items instead of throwing them away.
Make changes to transportation
A major source of carbon emissions is transportation because electricity comes from renewable energy and natural gas. Instead of driving to your destination, when possible, take public transportation, walk, carpool, or cycle. By doing this you’ll not only lessen traffic congestion and the idling of engines that accompanies it but also reduce carbon emissions. However, if you must drive, avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking which results in 40% more fuel consumption.
Choose eco-friendly and energy-saving products
An eco-friendly and energy-saving product has a lower carbon footprint than one that is not eco-friendly and energy-consuming. Especially for enterprises and hotels, it’s important that you are using eco-friendly products because they are delivering a positive and green brand attitude to your clients and guests. Starting it from changing your business cards to paper cards, changing your plastic key cards to BioPaper cards, stopping offering one-time-use only stuffs, etc.
Conclusion
To achieve carbon neutrality across the globe, enterprises, hotels, and individuals must take responsibility. These require little effort or financial investment because they are the simplest and easiest changes one can make.