About LiveNeutral Offsets
LiveNeutral makes it easy for you to neutralize your global warming emissions through participating in innovative market-based approaches to reduce climate change emissions. The following is a basic overview of how this works.
Every person has a climate change footprint which is unique to you, based upon your personal day-to-day activities. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main greenhouse gas attributed to climate change. How you travel, use electricity, and even how you eat are all factors.
Like you, many companies also have climate change footprints, which they would like to reduce. A voluntary emissions “cap and trade” program was created to help companies do this. The purpose of this voluntary effort is to have an overall positive impact on climate change emissions.
The program sets emissions reduction goals for their members and tracks their progress. Companies who exceed their goals can trade credits with those who fall short. In the big picture, as companies reach their goals, climate change emissions will be reduced each year.
Through the LiveNeutral DuPont website, you can make personal decisions that will work to neutralize your emissions and positively effect climate change. First, you calculate your climate footprint. Then, through LiveNeutral’s footprint reduction tips and greenhouse gas offsets, you can learn ways to reduce or neutralize your emissions. Every contribution you make to the LiveNeutral offsets helps drive demand for reduction credits and helps encourage CCX members to make further reductions.
The result? Fewer greenhouse gases. And a healthy and sustainable planet for everyone.
Questions and Answers on Emissions Offset Projects Sponsored by LiveNeutral:
How is it possible to neutralize emissions?
By neutralizing your emissions, you are funding large-scale emissions reductions that are taking place elsewhere. For example, if your car emitted 12,000 lbs. of CO2 last year, your donation will support 12,000 lbs. pounds of verified, legally enforceable CO2 reductions today.
Where do these carbon reductions come from?
When you buy a carbon-neutral certification from LiveNeutral, we buy emissions reduction credits on your behalf through the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX).
The Chicago Climate Exchange supplies the highest-quality, third-party-verified, and legally accountable emissions reductions credits available today.
How exactly are emissions reduction credits generated?
CCX Members that fall short of their goals can buy credits from those who make extra reductions or from verified offset projects. Most reductions are achieved through increased energy efficiency in member companies? operations. Others are achieved through the support of offset projects. Here are just a few examples of offset projects available on the exchange:
- Methane destruction: Farms and landfills earn offsets by using special digesters to collect and destroy methane, one of the most destructive greenhouse gases.
- Forestry practices: Forestry practices. Eligible projects include forestation and forest enrichment, combined forestation and forest conservation projects, and urban tree planting.
- Renewable energy: Renewable energy projects like wind, solar, hydropower, and biofuel systems can earn offsets based on the amount of grid-supplied, carbon-emitting power they displace.
- For more information about where these projects are located, follow this link: http://chicagoclimateexchange.com/environment/offsets/geographic_locations.html
- For more information about what types of projects are approved for trading credits, follow this link http://chicagoclimateexchange.com/environment/offsets/offset_project_types.html
- For more information about what types of offsets projects are actively and currently being traded on the CCX, follow this link http://chicagoclimateexchange.com/environment/offsets/offsets_reg_reports.html
- For information on the 3rd party auditors of these projects, follow this link http://chicagoclimateexchange.com/environment/offsets/approved_verifiers.html
What’s the Chicago Climate Exchange?
Founded in 2003, the Chicago Climate Exchange functions as a kind of stock market for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Its 200+ members include companies like DuPont, Bayer, IBM, and American Electric Power. The states of Illinois and New Mexico also have announced their commitment to join. Membership is entirely voluntary, but members are legally bound to comply with reductions once they join. Upon joining, members calculate their average greenhouse gas emissions between 1998 and 2001. Each year, they aim to reduce emissions 6% below their annual baseline by 2010.
Why would a major corporation voluntarily reduce its emissions?
Many companies sincerely want to do the right thing. There’s also a financial incentive. Companies that reduce more emissions than required can trade offsets with companies that didn’t quite meet their goals. As demand for credits increases, so does their price. It’s a win-win situation for both you and the companies that reduce. There also is the forward-thinking company that feels certain that global warming regulations are only a matter of time. These companies join the CCX to be ahead of the pack in expertise and also may have the opportunity of being consulted as business authorities during the policy development process. CCX members are early-movers on issue that has a definite future and they gain myriad advantages for taking that leadership role.
How do I know companies will do what they say?
Qualified, independent experts verify all CCX member companies’ and offset projects reduction claims for authenticity and accuracy. In addition, the entire CCX platform is audited annually by The National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD). No other United States emission reduction credits program has this level of enforceability and accountability.
Can I buy credits directly from the Chicago Climate Exchange?
Only CCX members can trade credits on the exchange. That’s where LiveNeutral comes in. Our parent organization, the Presidio School of Management, is a CCX associate member.
We like to think of it as an experiment in democracy, opening the market to public participation. Not only does your participation neutralize emissions, but it also matures, develops, and proves a cutting-edge market in pollution reduction.
