What does carbon neutral mean?
Carbon neutral means that the greenhouse gas emissions associated with an activity are reduced to be net zero. For a product to be considered carbon neutral, action must be taken to reduce and offset emissions associated with supplying it to your business.
A company that is carbon neutral is removing the same amount of carbon dioxide it is emitting into the atmosphere to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, usually by purchasing carbon offsets or credits to make up the difference.
To achieve carbon neutrality it means that your carbon dioxide output has a net neutral impact on the environment and it can help step the effects of climate change. Greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide increase average temperatures worldwide, which in turn contribute to rising sea levels, changing weather patterns and other factors associated with climate change.
Companies become carbon neutral when they calculate their carbon emissions and compensate for what they have produced via carbon offsetting projects. Offsetting carbon emissions, in a different location through projects, is important when the emissions cannot be avoided locally. This, in addition to avoidance and reduction, is an important step in holistic climate action. Being ‘carbon neutral’ means that the business emits the same amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that you offset by some other means.
How you can become carbon neutral
Everything you do produces carbon dioxide - from driving to powering your home etc. all makes up your carbon footprint.
However there are steps you can take to become carbon neutral both indirectly and directly:
- Switching to renewable energy sources like wind, solar, or geothermal heating directly reduces your carbon footprint
- Choosing to use a bike or walk as a mode of transport, instead of driving
- Converting to LED lights or switching to a carbon neutral courier
- Individuals can also invest in carbon offsets, which contribute to projects that reduce global carbon emissions. When you invest in a carbon offset project, you’re buying carbon credits. One carbon credit is equivalent to one metric ton of carbon dioxide.
- some examples of carbon offset projects include planting trees, wetlands restoration and farmland management.
How are we carbon neutral?
We have looked into carbon emissions we generate including; production of raw materials, packaging and our electricity use.
With this information, we purchase carbon offsets from Gold Standard Certified carbon offsetting projects, such as our friends @withoneseed who plant trees in East Timor to help offset the emissions and stimulate the Timorese economy.
We recognise and acknowledge that simply offsetting emissions is not going to be enough to properly address the climate crisis we are facing, and we consider it a temporary measure while we wait for a fuller transition to cleaner sources of energy, which we hope to see in the coming years.
In the meantime, we are proud to be one of the first food businesses in Australia to be completely 100% carbon neutral.
The planet and its future are very important to us.
