What makes Offsetra different? How do we operate? What are our goals and standards?
How does Offsetra operate? What happens with my money?
The global carbon market is equivalent to 20% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, equal to approximately 4 billion round trip flights from New York to London. “Pricing in” market externalities like carbon emissions and allowing individuals and businesses to trade them is one of the most effective means at our disposal in creating a viable pathway forward toward a low-carbon future. Offsetra’s goal is to empower people to join the carbon economy and offset their own personal emissions.
We take transparency seriously. All of the offsets we offer have passed through strict 3rd party validation and oversight. When you choose us to help you offset your emissions you'll receive an internationally recognized certificate. In fact, all carbon offsets traded legitimately can be viewed publicly. Your efforts to help pave the way forward to a low carbon economy will be recognized!
How we built our flight carbon calculator, and how you can better understand the impact that flying has on the climate.
We are working to build the most user-friendly flight emissions calculator on the web. Here is a bit of background on the math, the assumptions we've taken, plus some of the science of flight emissions.
If your goal is to come up with a highly precise calculation of the carbon-equivalent emissions of a flight, the math can get quite complex. Plane and engine size, occupancy rates, flight routes, fuel types, takeoffs and landings... these parameters all effect on the amount of fuel burned, and how much of that fuel you are responsible for.
What matters more than anything, however, is the distance you cover. In fact, while flying indeed emits about 30% more per mile than driving, it also takes you the furthest, the fastest. That's why it's so easy to ruin your carbon budget by flying!
Carbon dioxide alone is not harmful to us- it's the warming effects that are the problem. And since other gasses can cause a similar (or more powerful) warming effect, we use the term Co2-e, or "carbon equivalent" as a standard unit.
When we compare planes to cars and other forms of transportation, we use "grams of Co2e per passenger kilometer".
So what makes planes so much worse per kilometer? Aside from the amount of energy needed to move a plane a cross such distances, planes have an additional warming effects because they emit gasses much higher in the atmosphere, and because they emit more nitrous oxide. These additional warming effects are referred to as 'radiative forcing effects'.
Collectively, the Co2e emissions of flying are typically calculated with a 2x "Emission Weighting Factor" to account for these effects.