Philosophical Questions

  1. What's more effective: forestry, carbon management or renewable energy?
  2. Is there enough land on the planet for enough trees to really have an impact on human-induced global warming?
  3. Is Carbon Planet a not-for-profit organisation?
  4. Reducing my firm's emissions won't make a big difference. So why should I offset?
  5. Why should I engage in managing my firm's specific contribution to climate change when instead I can support an not-for-profit environmental organisation?

What's more effective: forestry, carbon management or renewable energy?

To aggressively work towards a more sustainable Earth, Carbon Planet's core belief is that change must occur on a global scale. These changes can be encapsulated by the following:

Trees are the only mechanism for removing the climate-altering excess of greenhouse gases from the planet's atmosphere. Years of deforestation must be reversed by replenishing the Earth with this essential natural resource.

Changing human behaviour with education as well as implementation of emissions-reduction projects.

Embracing alternative energy products as a viable substitute for fossil fuel combustion.

Carbon Planet encourages each individual, organisation and corporation to participate in all strategies. Our future depends on it.

Is there enough land on the planet for enough trees to really have an impact on human-induced global warming?

It is definitely questionable.

Carbon credits applied to reforestation will help minimise the overabundance of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere -- reducing the impact of climate change on the ecosystem -- but, naturally, there is a finite amount of land for the planting of trees.*.

We're not suggesting that reforestation is the panacea for global warming: the scope of carbon credits may include other sources: such as solar, wind, hydro, wave, reducing energy consumption, etc.

*Brush stroke calculations yeild: Australia-NSW Forestry estimates that each square kilometre can sequester 15,000 tonnes of CO2.The land area of the Earth is approximately 148.94 Million km (Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/xx.html). Based on the hypothetical situation that all the land area on Earth was available for forestry, this would sequester 2234.1 Billion tonnes.

So with approximately 6.6 billion people (July 08) on the planet there's only enough land mass to sequester 338.5 tonnes per person -- the global average is 4 tonnes(World Resources Institute [WRI 2002]) so this sequestration could work for 85 years. BUT this isn't leaving any room for cities, deserts or land types with less efficient sequestraion than forests. So if we assume that 10% of land is suitable for reforestation then it would be effective for less than 8.5 years! Which is substantially less than needed to reduce our GHG emissions to an acceptable level.

Conclusion: Forestry credits, while effective and feasible,are only one part of the equation.

Is Carbon Planet a not-for-profit organisation?

No. Carbon Planet Limited is an unlisted publicly-traded company. We offer a full-spectrum suite of carbon management advisory services, emissions analysis and measurement, origination and carbon offset strategic planning, education and carbon trading.

Carbon Planet, as a company, has the credentials, experience and expertise to help you understand and minimise your impact on climate change whist helping businesses manage the risks associated with the new carbon economy.

Reducing my firm's emissions won't make a big difference. So why should I offset?

To a degree, you're right.

Even if you sell your car, plant some trees in your backyard, switch to Green Bags and reduce all of your emissions you alone won't save the world from the environmental impact of global warming.

However, by taking steps towards offsetting your company's GHG emissions via the purchase of carbon credits you drive incentive for sustainability on both the corporate and consumer levels.

An increased volume of carbon credit purchases increases value and thus increases demand. From a commodity standpoint, the incentive to generate credits is clear to astute and enterprising organisations.

Carbon Planet endorses the concept of using market-driven demand to foster the growth of emissions reduction mechanisms, behavioural change through education and products and economically-sound carbon management planning.

Why should I engage in managing my firm's specific contribution to climate change when instead I can support a not-for-profit environmental organisation?

Over 150 years ago, fossil fuels were used on a wide scale basis to, literally, grease the wheels of the burgeoning Industrial Revolution. Since that time the damage to the Earth's environment has increased exponentially as industrialisation spread, spawning the growth of a bustling global marketplace. The predominant cause of global warming -- due to the increase in atmospheric CO2 and related greenhouse gases -- is fossil fuel combustion and land-use change.

As a company, everything you do to manufacture and deliver your products or services contributes to the issue of environmental sustainability. In other words, everything you do to run your business can be associated with harmful emissions that contribute to a growing problem.

Charities raise money to provide assistance to those in need, and are primarily organised on a voluntary basis; Carbon Planet, staffed by a team of scientists, emissions auditors and business strategists, provides a host of carbon reduction and risk-management services.

We help individuals and corporations manage their carbon footprint size whilst providing a roadmap for exploring the opportunities in the global carbon economy.