Best Carbon Offset Programs

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Native Energy is our best overall selection because it is truly a leader among carbon offset programs. Native Energy is established, having been around since 2000, and is third-party verified, transparent, and committed to rigorous standards of social and environmental performance. Customers can feel confident that their money is making a difference when they work with Native Energy.

Native Energy is our winner for best overall carbon offset program because of its longevity and leadership in the carbon offset space. Native Energy was founded in 2000 and has since worked with hundreds of organizations to develop solutions to sustainability challenges. The Native Energy team comprises a diverse number of specialists including scientists, engineers, and legal counselors. 

In 2016, Native Energy became a Certified B Corp which means it has met rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. In 2017, Native Energy was recognized as a Certified B Corp Best for the World Company. In 2018, it also became a Public Benefit Corporation. B Corps are businesses that are recognized as having high standards for social and environmental programs. 

Native Energy offers a wide range of project options for both businesses and individuals. It also has calculators specific to small businesses and individuals. Small businesses can use its facility, travel, event, or freight calculators to calculate emissions, offset by dollar, or offset by tons of CO2. Similarly, individuals can access travel, household, or events calculators which can be used to determine their carbon footprint for particular activities. The calculator will provide the cost required to offset the carbon footprint and that can be invested into a carbon offset project.  

For further transparency and accountability, Native Energy provides information on how it assesses additionality. Additionality proves that the buyer is purchasing is making a true difference. Native Energy also validates all of its carbon offsets using the following third-party standards:

• Gold Standard
• Verified Carbon Standard
• Climate Action Reserve
• American Carbon Registry

Projects:

• Clean water
• Nature-based
• On-farm
• Regenerative AG
• Removals (CDR)/Drawdown
• Renewable energy

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3Degrees is our pick for the best carbon offset program for businesses because its carbon offset projects are specifically targeted at helping businesses and utilities decarbonize their operations.

3Degrees was chosen as the best carbon offset program for businesses because of its specialized focus on businesses and utilities and its industry-focused projects. 3Degrees was founded in 2007 with the belief that businesses must play a central role in solving the global climate crisis. Since that time, 3Degrees has supported the launch of the first voluntary community solar programs in the U.S., executed the first voluntary Renewable Energy Certificate option trade in the U.S., and initiated some of the earliest renewable natural gas transactions in the U.S. 

According to 3Degrees, it is the leading North American carbon specialist. It offers a variety of services including decarbonization, consulting, carbon credits, renewable and green energy, green tariffs, and more. 3Degrees is also a Certified B Corporation which means they are held to a high standard when it comes to social and environmental performance. 

Sustainability is a large part of 3Degrees' own operation. 3Degrees offsets all emissions that result from employee business travel and commuting. It also subsidized public transportation costs for its full-time employees. Additionally, 3Degrees purchases Water Restoration Credits to cover the footprint of its business and it matches 100% of its company-wide electricity use with renewable energy certificates. 

Projects: 

• SF6
• Agricultural methane capture/combustion
• Wind power
• Forest management
• Solar power
• Oil recycling
• Energy efficiency 
• Emission reduction
• Biogas
• Landfill gas methane capture and destruction

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We chose Sustainable Travel International as the best carbon offset program for tourism businesses because it is committed to protecting the world’s most vulnerable travel destinations and the people that live there.

Our winner for best carbon offset program for tourism businesses is Sustainable Travel International. It claims this spot because of its commitment to integrate a more sustainable model of tourism. Since 2002, Sustainable Travel International has been working to change the travel and tourism industry. Its mission is simply to minimize the negative effects of tourism and maximize the positive benefits. 

Sustainable Travel International promotes travel that leads to a healthier environment, the protection of natural resources, and greater social justice. Rather than prioritizing excessive visitor growth and short-term gains, Sustainable Travel International is focused on the long-term environmental and human impacts of tourism. It partners with governments and policymakers to guide them on how to implement strategies that support a more sustainable model of tourism.

Sustainable Travel International provides carbon offset projects for businesses and individuals. Businesses can request a carbon footprint assessment or develop a customized carbon offset program. Its projects are focused on forest and biodiversity, clean and efficient energy, blue carbon, and the assistance of local communities from around the world. 

To ensure its carbon offset projects are legitimate and meet the highest standards, Sustainable Travel International works with third-party verifiers. All projects are verified by at least one standard, including:

• Gold Standard
• Verified Carbon Standard
• The Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance
• Plan Vivo
• Natural Forest Standard
• Climate Action Reserve
• American Carbon Registry

If you invest with Sustainable Travel International, you don’t have to worry about whether or not your money is funding a legitimate project. 

Projects:

• Biodigesters
• Wind farm
• Forests
• Water filters
• Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+)

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We chose terrapass as the best carbon offset program for monthly subscriptions because it offers a useful Carbon Balanced Business Plan that allows companies to support carbon reduction projects on a monthly subscription basis.

Terrapass wins best carbon offset program for monthly subscriptions because it makes carbon offsetting easy for individuals and businesses with its monthly subscription model. Terrapass was launched in 2004 as a way to help everyday people reduce their carbon footprint while driving. Soon after, terrapass expanded its portfolio into greenhouse gas emissions from other sectors including air travel and energy consumption. Since starting, terrapass has now helped over 1,000 businesses and institutions, plus hundreds of individuals take responsibility for their impact on the climate. 

In addition to helping individuals and corporations offset their carbon usage, terrapass is also on a mission to help educate the public on what climate change is, why it matters, and how small changes in our own lives can add up over time. The terrapass website provides useful carbon calculators for individuals, businesses, and special events.

Terrapass has pre-packaged bundles and monthly subscription services that make it easy for businesses and individuals to take a stand against climate change. Terrapass uses the average carbon emissions per employee plus the number of employees in your company to produce a monthly subscription fee that is then invested in carbon offsetting programs. It’s an easy way for small businesses to reduce their climate impact on a monthly basis. 

You can feel confident using terrapass, as its entire offset portfolio is subject to independent third-party review, including:

• Gold Standard
• Verified Carbon Standard
• Climate Action Reserve
• American Carbon Registry
• CSA Group

Projects:

• Landfill gas capture
• Abandoned coal mines methane capture
• Wind power
• Forestry
• Farm power
  
• BEF Water Restoration Certificate

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We chose myclimate as the best carbon offset program for multiple environmental impact options because of its wide variety of projects, from biogas to energy efficiency, wind, water, forestry, and solar waste management. In addition to carbon offset, myclimate has also helped to create jobs and improve the living conditions of people around the world.

myclimate’s extensive and diverse portfolio of carbon offset projects is why it stands out as the best carbon offset program for multiple environment impact options. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, myclimate is an award-winning not-for-profit carbon offset program. Since its start, myclimate has conducted 174 projects in 45 countries around the world. Myclimate has also created thousands of jobs and improved the living conditions of hundreds of thousands of people through its project work. 

One of myclimates’ major efforts is education and providing action-orientated educational programs. Today, myclimate has reached over 65,000 schoolchildren and 11,000 trainees in Switzerland as well as an additional 1,400 students and young professionals in its global network. 

Myclimate serves a wide range of customers including private individuals, not-for-profit organizations, and companies of every size. You can feel confident that your money is being used to combat CO2 emissions, as myclimate only invests in projects that deliver measurable and long-term success. It only makes offset payments to supported projects once the reductions have been made. All myclimate projects adhere to third-party quality standards such as:

• Gold Standard
• Plan Vivo
• VCS
• Agencies of the Swiss Government

Projects: 

• Biogas
• Biomass
• Efficient cookstoves
• Energy efficiency
• Hydropower
• Land use and forestry
• Solar waste management and compost
• Water (purification and saving)
• Wind

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Carbon Checkout is a plug-in software app that can integrate into existing e-commerce stores, allowing customers to invest in carbon offset as they shop. Simply put, Carbon Checkout makes carbon offset easy.

Carbon Checkout is great for e-commerce businesses that want to elevate their brand by supporting an important cause—carbon offset. Carbon Checkout began as a company in 2007 and later launched its Shopify app in 2015. It has grown to be one of the world’s leading carbon offset retail distribution networks. It currently operates in over 37 countries and has partnered with over 2,000 e-commerce merchants to provide millions of customers the opportunity to efficiently support carbon offset projects. For this reason and more, it is our top pick for best offset program for e-commerce and micro-contributions. 

For e-commerce businesses, the integration is super easy. The Shopify app can be installed with just one click. For other types of stores and websites it's pretty simple as well. Carbon Checkout will appear on your store's checkout page. Customers can choose to participate with one click and balance the carbon footprint of their orders. Contributions are added to customers’ carts and collected at checkout. Participating customers will then receive an email with a unique hyperlink verification code that can be used to access their personal Carbon Portfolio on the Carbon Checkout website. Here, they can track their carbon offset contributions. All Carbon Checkout contributions are pooled to fund renewable energy projects to reduce carbon emissions. 

All investments made with Carbon Checkout go to projects that are third-party validated and independently audited and tracked. 

Projects:

• Wind 
• Solar
• Landfill gas capture