FAQS

What is a Carbon Offset?

Put simply, it’s a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to compensate for emissions made somewhere else. Purchasing a carbon offset enables people and businesses, then, to reduce their carbon footprints.  Offsets are measured in metric tonnes (mT) of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) One mT is about 2,205 lbs. A mT of CO2e is about the equivalent of the carbon sequestered by 16 tree seedlings grown for ten years.

Is my purchase a donation? Is my purchase tax deductible? 

BEF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Please consult with your tax advisor to determine if your purchase is tax deductible.

What kind of carbon offset is the best?

All carbon offsets represent the same amount of greenhouse gasses reduced or removed from the atmosphere – 1 metric tonne. Beyond this baseline, there are many factors that can influence your decision about which one might be “best” for you or your business. You should consider the type of project, co-benefits, and how these align with your sustainability or other goals. For example, a forestry project may have benefits for habitat, freshwater resources, and local economy, while a landfill gas offset may be a lower cost and you can offset more, hence reduce more greenhouse gasses with your budget. You may also consider purchasing a Stacked Offset to support a BEF program directly with your purchase.

How do I know a carbon offset is really doing something?

BEF only sells third party verified carbon offsets that are tracked, registered, and validated. All of our offsets meet the PAVER criteria – permanent, additional, verified, enforceable and real. All of our offsets are registered in one of these industry accepted registries: Climate Action Reserve, Verified Carbon Standard, America Climate Registry and the Gold Standard. These criteria and the rigorous standards and verifications, tell us that each carbon offset we sell is making a real impact. And all of our offsets are retired once, so they cannot be double counted.

What will I get after my carbon offset, REC or WRC purchase?

You will receive a certificate with the project name, description, volume, registry and vintage of your environmental products.

Does it matter where in the world my carbon offset is coming from? 

Global warming is a global issue, so the greenhouse gas emission reductions associated with your carbon offset purchase will be helpful no matter where the project is located. That said, the co-benefits of a project, such as habitat, watershed, community impacts will be local, so that may influence where you wish to purchase offsets from.

Shouldn’t I be reducing my carbon footprint, not just offsetting it?

Yes! We advocate reducing your carbon footprint and offsetting what you cannot avoid.

What are Scope 1, 2 and 3 Emissions?

To calculate a business carbon footprint, we recommend using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol framework which categorizes emissions into Scope 1. Direct emissions from owned mobile or immobile assets such as fuel for fleet vehicles or natural gas in your operations, Scope 2. Indirect purchased electricity , steam heat and cooling, and Scope 3. All other indirect emissions such as business travel, commuting, shipping and supply chain emissions.

How do I calculate my footprint?

Calculating a carbon footprint can be a challenge for any size of business. We have created business and residential footprint calculators to make things easier for you. These calculators are a great first step, but for businesses, they do not encompass some of the more nuanced pieces of your footprint. We recommend you reach out to us if you would like guidance on how to complete a full greenhouse gas assessment of your business.

Does BEF help develop new carbon offset or REC projects?

We do not develop our own projects. BEF is a carbon offset retailer, which means that we sell carbon offsets that we vet and purchase from wholesalers and developers which allows us to represent a very diverse portfolio of projects from around the world. 

I am interested in developing a carbon offset project, where do I start?

Developing a carbon offset project requires a few main elements to be a viable project. 1. The project needs to meet a current methodology or protocol (these terms are used interchangeably). A methodology is the science behind a project that has been carefully developed, reviewed and accepted by one or more registries. 2. The project must also have enough volume of metric tonnes of CO2e reduced or removed to make it financially viable. In other words, the larger the project, the more likely that it will make financial sense. And 3. The project must be additional which means it would not have happened in the absence of a carbon offset market.