Okay. We know you know about sustainability. It’s the term of the century. But… Do you really know about this?
Sustainability comes from the word ‘sustain’ — that means:
● to keep alive;
● to support;
● to allow something to continue for a (long) period;
(Reference: Cambridge Dictionary)
But, are we doing enough to “support and keep alive” the only planet that sustains life?
Sea levels are rising due to uncontrolled global warming fueled by incessant carbon emissions and pollutants — that are clouding the planet and the future of life. And if we don’t take necessary actions NOW, this might be irreversible. And 2012 (the movie) might just turn into our nightmarish reality.
That being said, businesses can’t just shut down to stop carbon emissions. That’s not the way. Things need to be operational to meet their daily needs. And it has taken 100 years of the Industrial revolution to make the world we live in today. We can’t just switch to clean energy sources in a blink of an eye. This change is gradual and slow but lasting.
And while we are in the process of harnessing sustainable change completely, carbon offsetting is our alternative.
What is Carbon Offsetting?
In simple words, it is like a balancing scheme.
For businesses, Carbon offsetting involves compensating for their carbon footprint – by investing in projects that are working towards sustainability. It means even though your company is producing carbon, it is making up for that pollution by giving some amount of money for environmental and sustainable purposes.
So, every time a company emits a ton of carbon dioxide through its operations, it pays for that 1 ton of carbon dioxide through an eco-friendly project, which in turn, balances those emissions. The investment is aimed at minimizing or controlling future emissions, which can involve investing in clean energy sources, purchasing carbon credits, or even planting trees in an area.
Is Carbon Offsetting a good solution?
Not really. You might have the best ointment for the wound, but without treating it from the root level, the wound stays ripe.
So, carbon offset might be a cover-up for business practices. But, companies paying for carbon emissions or investing in some sustainable projects, without controlling their own emissions, does not free them from their collective responsibility for the environment. They need to modify their business practices to support sustainability.
That being said, till the time businesses are not fully sustainable in their approach and practices, carbon offsetting can be seen as one step ahead, as an alternative towards making things right in the long run.
Carbon Offsetting isn’t that bad, after all!
Yes. Carbon offsetting has its brownie points!
Due to this, businesses are turning more conscious about their operations and their impact on the environment. Funding projects aimed towards sustainability has provided genuine opportunities for great eco-friendly, sustainable projects (like renewable energy projects which need money to run).
More so, planting trees and afforestation has a huge positive impact on the environment – not just for controlling carbon, but also increasing forest cover, boosting animal habitat, regulating rains, clean air, among several other benefits.
Carbon offsetting is also providing great opportunities to countries where offset projects are being set up, thus, improving the economic conditions of people in that region.
What is GO DESi doing about this?
Oh, we are conscious of our actions and the impact our operations have on the environment. Our ingredients are locally sourced and we support local people for employment.
We believe businesses can have a net positive impact on all stakeholders: communities, the environment, and the shareholders. No one has to lose for the other to win.
But, currently, we do realize we are not 100% sustainable. Our packaging is using plastic, which causes harm to the environment. But, we are working actively on a biodegradable sustainable packaging alternative – to replace the plastic completely.
Until the time we find a solution to this, we have turned to carbon offsetting.
From October 2020, Go DESi has pledged to plant 60 trees at “Trees for Ganges (Ganga)” located in Buxar, Bihar, India.
We just planted trees in October! Here’s the certificate :)
And we are not stopping here. This is just the start towards a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future. Here’s to many more trees :)
