Sliced: Offsetting My 2024 Carbon Footprint

Listen to this Sliced essay on any of the streaming platforms below.

It is that time of the year again – the moment to reconcile my carbon footprint from the prior year.

As I wrote about last year, I like to start my year by calculating my annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and then purchasing verified carbon credits to offset those emissions. Although the challenge of mitigating and adapting to the impact of the climate crisis is enormous, and it oftentimes feels like it is far beyond the control of our actions, I do believe we have some capacity to help. In my opinion, the most obvious governance in our hands is – who we vote for, what we do with our money, what we eat, and how often we fly. I would argue that is quite a bit of control, so we actually can captain our own ship.

In 2023, my total carbon footprint was 8.3 tonnes of CO2, of which the majority were the result of flying. In 2023, I took 18 separate flights, and I pledged that in 2024 I would take 6 fewer flights around Europe. I’m proud to say that I exceeded my goal as I only took 10 intra-European flights. However, I began 2024 with a flight from Chicago to Rome and concluded the year with a journey from Madrid to Indiana, including a brief pitstop in Costa Rica – making it a significant international round trip.

Considering all of this, my annual 2024 carbon footprint, as calculated by the Footprint Calculator from the Global Footprint Network, was 7.6 tonnes of CO2 for the year – an improvement from 8.3 tonnes in 2023! However, despite my overall eco-friendly lifestyle, this is still a significant amount. Once again, the main factor driving up my footprint was air travel.

Various websites are available to calculate key travel metrics such as distance flown, flight duration, and CO2 emissions. This year, I used a combination of Air Miles Calculator and ChatGPT. For all metrics, I rounded up or used the higher data listed, if the numbers conflicted across the different resources.

With all the math sorted out, I once again bought carbon credits from Cool Effect. I am writing this article from Guatemala, so it feels especially meaningful that the carbon credits I purchased this year support a project based here. During my time in Guatemala, as I’ve been hiking through remote areas, I’ve come across many rural villages and seen poverty firsthand. I’ve stopped to speak with villagers, learning about their challenges and the limited resources they have, especially for the basics.

The “Breath of Fresh Air” project, developed by Proyecto Mirador under the Gold Standard Foundation, focuses on the enhanced distribution of improved cookstoves across rural areas in Central America through the Dos Por Tres initiative. Utilizing the GS TPDDTEC v2 methodology, this project constructs efficient cookstoves in rural homes to provide clean air and significant health benefits to impoverished families.

With a cost of $16.48 per credit (equivalent to one tonne of CO2e), this technology-based avoidance and reduction project is certified under the Gold Standard with Project ID GS 10457 and a credit vintage of 2021. The project also contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 1: No Poverty, 2: Zero Hunger, 3: Good Health and Well-Being, 4: Quality Education, 5: Gender Equality, 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, 13: Climate Action, and 15: Life on Land.

On the project page, I entered the amount of tonnes I wanted to purchase (I rounded up to 8). The total was $131.84 ($16.48/credit). Over 90% of every dollar of my purchase goes directly to supporting the project, with only 9.87% allocated to cover Cool Effect’s credit card fees, research, and potential registration costs.

(For those who want a slightly simpler process than what I undertook, Cool Effect offers a convenient tool to assist buyers in calculating their travel emissions on their home page.)

My experiences in the lovely country made supporting the “Breath of Fresh Air” project feel even more personal. Knowing that the improved cookstoves funded by this initiative are helping families here in Guatemala is a small but meaningful way for me to give back and contribute to the well-being of these communities.

For those who have the means, purchasing high-quality carbon credits is a tangible way to take responsibility for our environmental impact. The funds generated from these credits often go beyond reducing emissions – they can support local communities, conserve ecosystems, protect wildlife, create jobs, and provide additional income for those in need.

That said, I fully recognize that buying carbon credits is not a substitute for reducing my footprint. True progress comes from making meaningful changes to the aspects of my lifestyle that I can control. With that in mind, in 2025, I’m committing to go further by cutting back on air travel and taking two fewer intra-European flights.

As we leave 2024 behind, I encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect on the year and consider how they can contribute to a more sustainable future. Every action, no matter how small, can add up to meaningful change.

And if you’d like to discuss carbon credits, carbon markets, or ways to get involved, I am always here to chat – jtipton@gordianknotstrategies.com

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities has just announced an RFP for their new Impact Investing Program. The program seeks to deploy up to $5 million in 2024 through impact investments in companies, funds, or projects that advance systemic, transformative, and sustainable benefits for the health and vitality of working forests and forest-reliant communities in the United States.

Gordian Knot Strategies is supporting the development of the Impact Investing program. We encourage you to read the Endowment’s press release here, review the RFP materials here, and share with your network.

This is a great opportunity for companies and project developers seeking capital on reasonable investment terms. Please note that this is not a grant making endeavor.

There will be an informational webinar about the opportunity in early December; registration information is provided in the RFP materials here.