Over the last decade, carbon offsets have gained popularity
within the retail and consumer products industry as a voluntary
tool to mitigate their Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions. The quality and type of offsets play a critical role,
however, in the credibility of a GHG emissions reduction claim.
Lately, the environmental and sustainability communities have sent
mixed messages on the efficacy of nature-based carbon offsets.
Removal and Avoidance Offsets
Carbon offsets come in two basic forms—removal and
avoidance. Removal offsets are generated by activities that take
carbon out of the atmosphere, and can be nature-based (e.g., tree
growth and algae) or technology-based (e.g., point source carbon
capture and sequestration). Avoidance offsets, on the other hand,
are voluntary actions that prevent carbon emissions from entering
the atmosphere in the first place. Some avoidance activities that
produce carbon offsets can be nature-based, including
