JOHN NEWTON TITLE : DIRECTOR COMPANY : CARBON TRUST INDUSTRY : ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES LOCATION : UNITED KINGDOM
NET ZERO
“CONSUMERS WANT MORE CLARITY , BETTER EXPLANATIONS , CLEARER CLAIMS AND MORE EVIDENCE ”
JOHN NEWTON DIRECTOR , CARBON TRUST
With over 25,000 registered carbon projects available , companies that are unable to cut out all emissions can still strive to meet their goal of carbon neutrality .
However , the contribution of carbon credits is minor compared to the globalscale of change needed to reduce carbon emissions . As a result , the practice has been criticised as a greenwashing technique that allows companies to pay-off their actions and continue releasing harmful emissions into the atmosphere . Let ’ s take a look at some top companies whose carbon offsetting practices can give us more insight into the realities of its impact .
JOHN NEWTON TITLE : DIRECTOR COMPANY : CARBON TRUST INDUSTRY : ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES LOCATION : UNITED KINGDOM
John Newton , an expert at the Carbon Trust , leads the Carbon Label Delivery Programme . With 20 years of business strategy experience , mainly in ICT , he helps organisations implement sustainability agendas . An alumnus of the University of Cape Town , he emphasises the importance of transparently communicating climate impacts through the Carbon Label .
Offsetting schemes and the drive for net-zero According to a report by Ecosystem Marketplace , companies who purchase carbon credits are more likely to make an effort to reduce their emissions than businesses not taking part in the practice of offsetting . The report concluded that buyers of carbon credits were 1.8 times more likely to be pursuing a goal of ‘ decarbonisation ’, and three times more likely to include Scope 3 emissions in their climate targets . It seems that the act of investing in sustainability projects beyond a company ’ s borders is a great motivator for addressing climate change concerns head on .
“ When implemented effectively , highquality carbon credits can add value to an organisation ’ s climate and sustainability strategy and provide quantifiable evidence of their commitment to supporting the transition to a low carbon future and a just transition ,” says James Ramsay , Director of Sustainability Solutions at ENGIE Impact .
One large corporation renowned for its carbon offsetting contributions is Google ’ s parent company , Alphabet . In 2020 the
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