I’ve heard carbon offsets don’t really help mitigate climate change. Why should I contribute to the Conservancy’s voluntary carbon offset program?
Contributing to the Conservancy’s voluntary carbon offset program will have a verifiable impact on reducing the build up of greenhouse gases, and will help restore and protect critical habitat across the country and around the world. Because there is not a common standard for the voluntary carbon offset market the quality of offsets can vary widely. This variance has led to increased scrutiny and skepticism, and we agree that there are concerns that can and must be addressed to produce verifiable offsets. The Nature Conservancy’s carbon offset program produces verifiable reductions in greenhouse gases. These projects are critically important to establishing confidence in markets where forests are valued for the greenhouse gases they store and the habitats and natural services – such as healthy watersheds — they provide. In developing this program, we have done significant work to assure that the offsets we offer meet exceptionally high standards of quality. However, contributing to a
