Ofsetting Co2 emissions with Ebico - I don't understand!

saxonrosecliff

Hi I'm about to change my gas and electricity supplier to Ebico. I've read the article on the website about offsetting co2 emissions but I must be particularly thick as I don't understand a word of it! Could some kind soul explain it to be in words of one syllable please? Thanks

amosworks

I too had trouble trying to understand this, I think it's their EquiClimate service or something. From what I understand we all have a carbon footprint (which is a physical size of forrest for example) of how much carbon dioxide we produce and how many trees we need to plant to offset it to make us emission-neutral or whatever the term is. (Basically we calculate how much CO2 emissions we have then plant enough trees to balance it out.)

But then it was going on about the Kyoto agreement and the targets placed on each country to reduce CO2 emissions. From my understanding, the CO2 emissions are divided up like shares (for want of a better word) and can be traded between brokers almost exactly like a stock market deals regular shares. I don't know exactly how their service associates the carbon footprint and the Kyoto agreement but I think it has something to do with them acting as a broker for you and then purchasing CO2 shares and "retiring" them out of the market - by actually reducing CO2 emissions to the level of the shares purchased equal to your CO2 footprint.

I am quite confused also but this is the theory I have that makes as much sense as possible from how they explain it lol.

I too would welcome anyone else who could clarify this as it seems like a nice idea but I'm sitting here thinking !!!!!!?! :rolleyes:

Ken68

HI sax., there is also trading in CO2 emissions where the foul product is not taken out for good. For example a high user would buy off a low user.
At least more and more people are aware of the problem, tho some countries, like the U.S.A have yet to sign the Kyoto Agreement.

roger56

amosworks wrote:

I too would welcome anyone else who could clarify this as it seems like a nice idea but I'm sitting here thinking !!!!!!?! :rolleyes:

Kyoto is designed to reduce carbon emissions and sets down limits that countries have on pollutants like CO2, methane etc.

This article which explains how Kyoto and carbon emissions trading works:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4269021.stm

Ebico Equiclimate buys some of these traded emission allowances on your behalf.........and takes them out of circulation (ie throws them away so they cann't be used to make carbon emissions).

The end result is that companies have access to less than the full quota of traded emissions allowed by Kyoto, so they have to do more to reduce emissions or face severe penalties (fines).
In essence that all seems a good idea from Ebico (and probably other companies have similar schemes).

I asked myself, Where does the money really end up (clearly Ebico just pass it on when they buy allowances) and what is it used for? I tried to find out and ended up here:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/trading/eu/permits/pdf/annverifguide.pdf
I did rather loose the trail on this one......
I presumed it went into government environmental activities, some would be verifying and monitoring companies, but maybe some goes into things like insulation grants to improve dwellings, grants for more tree / hedge planting, education related to being more energy conscious etc...perhaps another poster has some specific info.

You can actually buy traded emission allowances your self, but for individuals it's best to let someone like Ebico do it.

If you feel like reading more, visit here:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/emission.htm
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/trading/eu/permits/index.htm

I would finally add that this is not strictly money saving but we all need to help where the environment is concerned, and dipping into our pockets like this is one way.

Hope that's of interest

ilikepoints

albertross wrote:

Are Ebico the cheapest?

For most people - yes.

BTW - anyone know a price comparison service that i can get money back from when I switch to Ebico?

Ken68

Am about to plant a tree to offset my carbon emmissions, not sure a Willow to copice or a Buddlia for the butterflies or an oak sapling perhaps.

amosworks

Just the one?

Ken68

amosworks wrote:

Just the one?

Only room for one pot grown 3 year old. Tho regularly take cuttings from the wild for planting back later. I would sooner do that that pay extra for Green energy. At least you can see the results.