Climate knowledge

Understand what you are looking at

Direct emissions from your own sources, such as the fuel in your car or boiler.

Indirect emissions from purchased energy, mainly electricity.

All other indirect emissions: flights, goods, food, services. For individuals usually by far the largest share.

CO₂ that is actually taken out of the atmosphere and stored long-term, for example in biochar or forest.

Emitting less at the source. The most important and often cheapest climate action.

Emissions prevented elsewhere compared to an assumed scenario, such as avoided deforestation.

Would the project have happened without credit revenue? Only if the answer is no does the tonne really count.

How long the carbon stays locked away. Soil and rock score higher than forest, which can burn down.

Does the emission simply shift to another place? Good projects measure this and correct for it.

The reference scenario against which the effect of a project is measured.

The year in which the storage or avoided emission actually took place.

The public register that gives every tonne a unique number and prevents double counting.

Monitoring, Reporting and Verification: the measurement process behind every claimed tonne.

The independent party that audits a project's measurements and reports.

Permanently cancelling a tonne in the registry so it can never be traded or claimed again.