How do you choose your projects?

How do your carbon offsets compare to those from other offset companies?
Why don't you just plant trees?
Can I choose which project I want to donate to?
How do I know I’ve become carbon neutral?
Why don't you use a Carbon Footprint Calculator?
How expensive is it to become carbon neutral?

Why don't you use a Carbon Footprint Calculator?
What will I be able to show for my offset purchase?
Can I purchase offsets from Greatest Planet™ if I live outside the UK or US?
What payment methods can I use?
How are these offsets counted under the Kyoto Protocol and EU Emissions Trading Scheme?
What is your refund policy?

1. How do you choose your projects?

We find, develop, manage and monitor projects around the world that drastically reduce the overall amount of carbon that goes into the atmosphere. All of our projects are rigorously verified to the highest possible standards, and there are a number of audited steps every project has to go through before the emission reductions can be sold. Equally important is something called "additionality": Carbon mitigation is only additional if it occurs at a level above the baseline level, also called “business as usual.” Therefore, the projects we implement (and the offset you may wish to buy) make extra reductions that could not have happened without the money you spent.

All this means you can be sure that the offsets which are purchased, be they from individuals or businesses, are delivering real, verified emission reductions right now.  In fact, 3.4 million metric tons (!) of reductions over the lifespan of our projects. Why not take a quick (or longer) peek at our project location map, which shows you where all of our projects are located.

2. How do your carbon offsets compare to those from other offset companies?

We are a non-profit organisation and charge substantially less (in fact, up to 70% less) per tonne of CO2 than other offset providers. Some offsetting firms use as much as 85% of their revenue for expenses before actually funding any emission reduction work, arguing that that the good work they do justifies an unspecified return on their labour and risk. We feel that this is unacceptable.

Many commercial firms, often with site-based 'carbon calculators', are also guilty of inflating the amount of CO2 you need to offset in order to become carbon neutral; although the money ultimately goes to funding the reduction of greenhouse gases, i.e. a good cause, the purchaser should clearly retain control over whether he or she want to go 'carbon neutral' or spend up to 2-3 times that amount becoming 'carbon negative'.

3. Why don't you just plant trees?

With deforestation contributing approximately 20 to 25 percent of the carbon emissions that cause global warming, reforestation projects are a great way to 'make good', because plants absorb carbon dioxide.  Because plants will ultimately re-emit all of the carbon they have absorbed when they die, planting trees as a form of carbon sequestration can’t be seen as a solution to climate change when taken in isolation. There are further considerations to be taken into account, as explained in our article "Tree planting - help or hindrance?

Consequently, although reforestation projects represent an integral part of Greatest Planet’s project portfolio (our Brazilian reforestation projects will eventually cover over 1,000 acres of land), we maintain a balanced and diversified portfolio of projects in addition of reforestation, which include projects related to the production of renewable energy, the more effective use of energy, and the collection of methane (see offset projects).

4. Can I choose which project I want to donate to?

Greatest Planet invests your carbon offset purchase across all projects, and each purchase is recorded and accounted for on an individual basis. All CO2 reductions from all projects meet the same high standards for quality and environmental integrity; however, if you feel strongly about funding a particular offset project, just let us know and we’ll make sure your purchase is directed towards that project only.

5. How do I know I’ve become carbon neutral?

You are purchasing guaranteed offsets from a reputable provider, who are recognised specialists dealing with the required design, measurement and management of the compensatory schemes.

Our projects are externally audited by a range of third party accreditation bodies.  In addition, Greatest Planet has made a commitment that all offset projects will soon be been accredited through either the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) or the Voluntary Gold Standard.

6. Why don't you use a Carbon Footprint Calculator?

A growing number of credible experts are claiming that inaccurate calculation of greenhouse gas emissions using so-called carbon footprint calulators (there are over 150 of those currently on the web alone) is undermining the method of using carbon offsetting to combat climate change. a recent survey by a scientist from P-I Research, who tried out 10 different calculators, showed results of between 25 tonnes (lowest) and 75 tonnes of carbon dioxide (highest) for the same individuals! To err firmly on the side of caution, our carbon offsets are based at the lowest end of these calculators, i.e. 25 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum per individual.

Two further examples show that there are additional issues with providing accurate results:

1) If you go from Heathrow to Athens, a particular carbon calculator gives 217 kilograms (kg) of CO2. That hides huge variations - fly in a full (Boeing) B767 and it's nearer to 160 kg per person, or fly in a half-empty (Airbus) A340 and it's more like 360 kg."

2) A carbon calculator on the British Airways website found 314kg per person of CO2 emissions for a trip from London Heathrow to Athens, whereas a Lufthansa calculation found 260kg per person of CO2 from London Stansted.

 

7. How expensive is it to become carbon neutral?

Very affordable! Our mission is to make it more affordable so that more people do it.  Even by taking steps to reduce your CO2 emissions as much as possible the average individual is still responsible for appr. 25 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum; for individuals, Greatest Planet charges £199 ($399) to offset the CO2 emissions for a single year, which equates to only £7.96 ($15.96) per ton of carbon dioxide; for a small businesses with between 1 and 5 employees, the Greatest Planet charges £249 ($499) to offset, on average, between 60 and 80 tons of CO2 emissions for a single year, which equates to only £3.55 ($7.13) per ton of carbon dioxide

If you pick an offsetting firm that charges a much higher rate per tonne of CO2, it doesn't necessarily mean your money is doing more good; as the Tufts Climate Initiative notes, "It is more important to invest in high quality offsets than to buy as many offsets as possible."

8. What will I be able to show for my offset purchase?

We will send you a personalized certificate which acknowledges that you have become carbon neutral through supporting projects around the world, which reduce carbon emissions, helping to combat climate change, and sustaining our environment for future generations; we will also send you our Greatest Planet window and bumper stickers which certifies that you have become “carbon neutral ". To see what these stickers looks like, click here.

At the moment we are also giving away, each and every month, a new Segway human transporter to one of our customers; when you make a carbon offset purchase with Greatest Planet, you are automatically entered into this competition, giving you a good chance of winning this cool and eco-friendly run-around, valued at $12,000/£6,000.

9. Can I purchase offsets from Greatest Planet™ if I live outside the UK or US?

Absolutely.  CO2 impacts the entire earth, regardless of where it is emitted, and our customers come from over 112 different countries (and counting).

10. What payment methods can I use?

You can pay, securely, by credit or debit card; we prefer, if at all possible, Visa or Mastercard, as American Express charges us a much higher commission. If you do not like using the internet to make a credit or debit card purchase why not telephone us and give us your card details over the phone (see contact us for the nearest telephone number to where you are).

11. How are these offsets counted under the Kyoto Protocol and EU Emissions Trading Scheme?

Under the Kyoto Protocol, developed countries have agreed to legally binding targets to reduce their overall emissions of greenhouse gases. The EU Emissions Trading Scheme is a mechanism set up to help the member states of the EU achieve these greenhouse gas emissions targets.

Greatest Planet makes greenhouse gas reductions for the voluntary market, which means that our offsets cannot be traded in the EU scheme or counted towards the Kyoto targets of member states.

12. What is your refund policy?

We invest your carbon offset purchase into our offset projects within 14 days after receipt of funds; we will be happy to refund you your offset purchase in full, if you let us know within this timeframe; we would fully respect such a decision on your part.