How much would it cost to offset your emissions?
Carbon offsets allow individuals and businesses to compensate for their emissions by funding projects that reduce CO2 elsewhere. Prices range from $5-10/tonne for renewable energy credits to $250-600/tonne for direct air capture (DAC). The voluntary carbon market reached $2 billion in 2022. Quality matters enormously: cheap offsets from forestry projects have faced criticism for impermanence (forests can burn) and additionality (the forest might have been preserved anyway). Gold Standard and Verra (VCS) certification adds credibility but cost. A mature tree absorbs roughly 22 kg of CO2 per year, meaning offsetting one tonne requires about 45 trees growing for a year. The most permanent offsets involve geological storage or mineralization, but they are currently the most expensive.