Why You Should Offset the Carbon Emissions of Your Event

2018, a report released by the UN's climate panel clearly showed that we need to have a "sense of urgency" regarding climate change. If we are to meet the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees, which we still have a chance to achieve, it is not enough to just reduce emissions; we also need to vacuum CO2 out of the atmosphere. This is where carbon offsetting comes into the picture!

At an event, transportation, energy consumption of the venues, waste, food, and drink contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. For most events, the participants' travel to and from the event is the single largest factor in greenhouse gas emissions, often over 70%. The food and drink served is another major factor that generates emissions and climate impact.

While measures can be taken, such as prioritizing climate-smart transportation methods, holding the event close to public transportation, and choosing locally produced and vegetarian food, it is rarely possible to completely minimize emissions. Therefore, it is great that there is an opportunity to offset these in other ways, such as through carbon offsetting.

Carbon Offset with Blick

When you enlist Blick to organize a meeting or event, you are offered the chance to offset the event's greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions from travel, energy, waste, food, and drink at the event are offset by purchasing reduction units equivalent to the size of the emissions.

Carbon offsetting means that greenhouse gas emissions, usually measured in tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), that could not be reduced by conserving resources are compensated for through emission-reducing measures outside one's own operations. This can be done by investing in projects such as renewable energy production or in tree planting and forest conservation projects.

Blick collaborates with the climate strategists Zeromission (https://zeromission.se/ (https://zeromission.se/)) who help us calculate the emissions and ensure that the projects we support through carbon offsetting are certified according to international standards.

Preserving the Cloud Forest in India

The project we offset in aims to preserve the cloud forest in Khasi Hills, India. The project is one of India's first forest conservation projects and provides support and economic incentives to preserve existing forests and regenerate degraded forests in Khasi Hills – a global biodiversity hotspot. To reduce deforestation and tackle extreme poverty in rural families, microfinance groups are established, and fuel-efficient stoves are subsidized. As a result, the consumption of firewood for stoves is reduced, and therefore indoor smoke pollution is decreased, benefiting both the forest and the health of families. Zeromission's various carbon offset projects create value elsewhere and are not just about reducing one's own negative impact.

To summarize: global warming is urgent, our own impact is real, and carbon offsetting is a way for us to take responsibility for and directly reduce our climate impact. If you need more reasons, Novus (https://novus.se/nyhet/allt-fler-konsumenter-vill-kopa-fran-foretag-som-tar-klimatansvar/ (https://novus.se/nyhet/allt-fler-konsumenter-vill-kopa-fran-foretag-som-tar-klimatansvar/)) shows that consumers prefer companies that take climate responsibility. So, offset the carbon emissions of your next event and feel free to talk about it!

Read more about our sustainability efforts here.