Sustainable Travel: Do Carbon Offsets Really Work?

 


Sustainable Travel: Do Carbon Offsets Really Work?

Or are they just the environmental equivalent of a get-out-of-guilt card?

First, What Are Carbon Offsets?

Imagine you’re taking a long-haul flight. You know it’s not great for the planet.
But the airline says, “Want to pay £5 to plant some trees and make it all okay?”

That’s a carbon offset: you pay someone else to reduce or remove emissions so you don’t have to.

The logic?

Burn now, clean later.

The Problem: It’s Not That Simple

Most carbon offset schemes do one of three things:

  1. Plant trees 🌳 (which take years to absorb the CO₂ you're burning today)

  2. Fund renewable energy ☀️ (good… but wouldn’t it be built anyway?)

  3. Protect existing forests 🌲 (which may have been protected already)

While the idea is sound, the execution is... mixed.

⚠️ Where Offsets Go Wrong

  • Double-counting: The same offset gets sold twice.

  • No real change: The project was going to happen anyway.

  • Lack of permanence: What if the forest burns down?

  • Poor verification: Many projects lack oversight.

A recent EU study found that 85% of offset projects failed to deliver what they promised.

Ouch.

So... Are They Ever Worth It?

Yes — if you:
✅ Use offsets only after reducing your actual emissions
✅ Choose schemes that are certified (e.g., Gold Standard, Verified Carbon Standard)
✅ Offset properly (enough tonnes, long-term investment)
✅ See them as a last resort, not a primary solution

A Better Travel Strategy

✈️ If you must fly:

  • Book non-stop flights (take-off is the dirtiest bit)

  • Travel light (every kilo counts)

  • Offset through a reputable scheme (do your homework!)

🚆 Better still:

  • Take the train

  • Use ferries or car shares

  • Combine work trips

  • Explore closer to home

Final Thought

You can’t buy your way out of carbon guilt — but you can think your way to better choices.

Offsetting isn’t useless. But it’s not a licence to carry on polluting either.
Reduce what you can. Offset the rest. Travel thoughtfully.

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