Sample projects, as well as technical support for applicants, can be found on the ForestPortal website: https://www.forestportal.sk/prv_sr/projektove-podpory/.

Sample projects (ŽoNFP and selected mandatory annexes with the exception of project documentation) for:

• call number 58/PRV/2022 – submeasure: 8.5 – Support for investments in improving the resilience and environmental value of forest ecosystems;

activity: Artificial restoration and education of protected forests and special forests destination, especially by underplanting forest stands (sample project for download here)

• call number 59/PRV/2022 – submeasure: 8.5 – Support for investments in improving the resilience and environmental value of forest ecosystems;

activity: Building and restoring civil and cognitive infrastructure in forest ecosystems (sample project for download here)

• call number 62/PRV/2022 – submeasure: 8.3 – Support for the prevention of forest damage caused by forest fires and natural disasters and catastrophic events;

activity: Improvement of water management in forests – (sample project for download here)

• call number 63/PRV/2022 – submeasure: 4.3 – Support for investments in infrastructure related to the development, modernization or adaptation of agriculture and forestry;

In the absence of government regulations requiring dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that cause climate change, an increasing number of companies are adopting "net zero" goals. More than one third of the world's 2,000 largest publicly held companies has declared net zero goals, according to the Net Zero Tracker, a database compiled by academics and non-profit organizations. These targets typically include public commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through measures such as process modification, product composition change, fuel switching, renewable energy transition, investment in carbon removal projects – and a pledge to reduce remaining emissions to zero by purchasing carbon offsets, known as as carbon credits. Carbon credits are financial instruments where the buyer pays another company to take certain steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the buyer receives a credit for the reduction. (Varsha Ramesh Walsh, Michael W.) Toffel

Offsets are more complex than just paying for new trees to be planted after summer. For many eco-minded travelers, it's easy to check the "offset my flight" button when buying a ticket. Almost every airline offers such a program along with a calculator that shows how a passenger can compensate for their flight. In the midst of heat waves and massive flooding, why not spend a few extra dollars to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions? 

However, many of these carbon offset programs are not what they seem. According to one recent study published in Science , offset projects have not reduced deforestation, and projects that have seen some reductions are not as effective as claimed. Julia Jones, professor of conservation science at Bangor University, says the results are not good news because saving carbon-sequestering forests is critical to keeping warming below 2°C, or 3.6°F.

"It's really disturbing to find that these projects have been less effective than claimed," she said. "However, this does not mean that they were not an effective tool, that these projects did not achieve anything. It means that more carbon credits were sold than delivered.

Carbon offsets are a bit more complicated than just spending a few extra dollars per flight and then assuming that your money is helping to protect trees in the Amazon. Determining the amount of carbon you have personally emitted and determining the equivalent amount of offsets needed to potentially offset those emissions is complex.  billing process , which usually may not be accurate. And there's a chance that the compensation you bought to protect the trees in the forest went somewhere where  these trees would still be preserved , so your offset doesn't really add much to the carbon you put into the atmosphere. (Emily Driehaus)

So many people died of disease, war, and enslavement during the European conquest of the Americas that the Amazon rainforest grew back, making reduced atmospheric carbon dioxide and may have contributed to the "Little Ice Age" in the 17th century. Forests today offer a more positive hope for limiting global warming. However, the current approach is failing. An idea bio-based carbon credits is that an emitter of carbon dioxide – say an airline – can finance a project that protects trees, plants new ones or preserves other carbon containing ecosystems, such as bogs - wetlands with partially decomposed vegetation. – or mangroves. These projects are accredited according to approved methodologies by important registers such as Verra and Gold Standard. (Robin Mills)

Farmers, ranchers and landowners can produce and sell carbon offsets by capturing and storing emissions. They do this using carbon farming and carbon sequestration processes, which involve implementing procedures that remove CO2 from the atmosphere by converting the gas into organic matter in the soil and eventually into plants. Once CO2 is absorbed, it helps restore the soil's natural properties – simultaneously increasing crop production and reducing pollution.

Farmers, ranchers and landowners can offset carbon emissions in countless ways. While not an exhaustive list, here are a few practices that typically qualify as projects producing offsets.

• Returning biomass to the soil as mulch after harvest instead of removal or burning. This practice reduces evaporation from the soil surface, which helps conserve water. Biomass also helps feed soil microbes and earthworms, allowing nutrients to cycle and strengthen soil structure.
• Use of conservation or no-till practices that improve water and air quality by increasing nutrients, soil structure, porosity, and slope.
• Using nutrient management and precision agriculture to maintain plant and soil health instead of chemicals or pesticides.
• Planting cover crops during the off-season to prepare land for cash crops by improving soil quality.
• Replacing surface irrigation systems with flood irrigation systems so that runoff water can be recycled to improve efficiency.
• Encouraging forest regrowth to remove, store and reuse carbon in trees and plants.
• Returning degraded lands to their natural state, converting acreage to grassland, or planting trees or seeds to convert vacant land into forests or woodlands.
• Crop rotation to ensure sufficient nutrients in the soil.
• Switching to alternative types of fuels such as lower carbon biofuels such as corn and ethanol and biodiesel derived from biomass.
• Change in manure management and change in feeding schedule.

After reading this list, you may be wondering how the volume and value of carbon offsets produced by each of these methods is determined. To be clear, this is no easy task. Monitoring and evaluating emissions and reducing them can be a challenge even for the most experienced agricultural professionals.

Fortunately, when it comes time to list offsets on VCM, a third-party verification professional can collect, analyze and verify data from your property, perhaps even conduct a site visit, to determine how much offset you're eligible for. New technology being developed can also remotely monitor the amount of carbon sequestered in your soil, eliminating the need for any guesswork. (Carboncredits.com)

Many businesses use carbon offsets as a way to reduce overall emissions and mitigate their impact on the environment, but a number of recent investigations into the practice have found that the offsets are deeply flawed and fall short of what they promise. All businesses are concerned with reducing emissions – and given the acute climate crisis facing the planet, they should be too. They should too do better , despite many introducing zero targets in the near future. This is because many use carbon offsets as a way to reduce their impact on the climate. Put simply, carbon offsetting involves companies "offsetting" their emissions by investing in projects that promise to reduce carbon elsewhere, such as reforestation initiatives, clean energy generation and, more recently, carbon capture projects. By buying these so-called "carbon credits" you can "offset" the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. (Author: Anay Mridul)

Achieving "zero" carbon emissions requires more than just limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide must also be withdrawn from the air , to offset continued releases from sectors where emissions are difficult to reduce, such as cement and steel production. There are many ways to achieve this - from capturing CO ₂ directly from the air by chemical means to planting trees and sea grass or seeding the oceans with iron to stimulate the growth of photosynthesizing phytoplankton. Even with full decarbonization, billions of tons of CO will need to be sequestered each year _2. Markets for "carbon offsets"—credits that pay someone else to reduce atmospheric carbon on your behalf—can be an effective way to manage global CO removal _{2 .} But they will only work if the prices and incentives are right, and there are currently two major problems with setting them up. (Philip W. Boyd, Lennart Bach, ... Christian Turney)

In their essence, both carbon credits and carbon offsets are accounting mechanisms. They provide a way to balance the pollution scales. The big idea behind credits and offsets is that since CO2 is the same gas anywhere in the world, it doesn't matter where the reduction occurs. It makes financial sense for both consumers and companies to reduce emissions where it is cheapest and easiest to do so, even if this does not include their own operations. Although the terms "carbon credits" and "carbon offsets" are often used interchangeably, they refer to two distinct products that serve two different purposes. Before you start shopping, it's important to understand the difference between the two and which one will help you achieve your goals. Here is a broad definition of the terms:

• Carbon offset: Removal greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
• Carbon credit: Reduction emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

To better visualize this difference, imagine a water source polluted by a nearby chemical plant. "Chemical compensation" would mean taking chemicals out of the water to help clean it up. A "chemical credit" would mean paying another chemical company to release fewer chemicals into the water so that the overall level of pollution remains the same. Clear as mud? Great.

Every day and in different ways, our planet Earth is changing for the worse. But most of us don't believe it. It is now the end of August – the rainy season in South Asia with a scenario of floods, typhoons, landslides and drought. It's summer in the West, with unprecedented heat waves, scorched earth in many European cities and raging forest fires in Hawaii, Canada and the US. But people grumble, complain… and adapt. They turn on the air conditioner, but they don't change their habits even for a moment. One of the problems we face is that today people are increasingly getting their information from social media. While this is accurate, social media tends to be superficial and reduce all conversations to a simplistic tweet format. The complexities of climate change are not discussed at all, while the focus is on the external description of a disaster such as a landslide, flood or fire. What is actually happening every day and every moment of the day is that vast human industrial and technological systems are fundamentally altering the very bio-geochemical cycles upon which life on Earth depends. Climate change is only one of the manifestations - we are also changing the carbon and nitrogen cycles and the balance of phosphorus, which have evolved over millions of years. (Myron J. Pereira)

 

There are many different types of carbon credit projects that can be undertaken to reduce carbon emissions. We discuss a few below:

• Afforestation and forest restoration projects   include planting new forests or restoring degraded forests. Trees absorb CO ₂ from the atmosphere and prevent it from entering the atmosphere. Project developers like DGB bring together ecologists and local communities to design and manage reforestation projects. We have several large-scale projects to plant millions of trees to protect nature and natural habitats. Each project is assessed and certified by an independent third party to ensure it meets strict emission reduction and sustainable development standards.
• Energy efficiency projects are focused on reducing energy consumption and improving efficiency in buildings, factories and other facilities. For example, DGB has energy efficient stove projects in Cameroon and Kenya. 2.6 billion people depend on wood and charcoal as their primary source of fuel. Therefore, it is essential to develop a stove that will help them use natural resources in the most efficient way possible. This leads to less deforestation, air pollution and carbon emissions
• Renewable energy projects they generate clean energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar and hydropower. By investing in these projects, companies can earn carbon credits and offset their emissions.
• Methane capture and utilization projects they include capturing methane emissions and using the gas as a fuel source. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas released during oil and gas production, as well as from landfills and agricultural activities. By investing in these projects, companies can earn carbon credits.
• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects include the capture of CO emissions ₂ from industrial processes and energy production, storing them underground or reusing them for other purposes. By investing in CCS projects, companies can earn carbon credits and offset emissions. (AI)

Carbon offset projects involve investments in emission reduction initiatives to offset unavoidable emissions elsewhere. These projects may include renewable energy projects, reforestation efforts, energy efficiency improvements, or methane capture initiatives. By supporting these projects, individuals and businesses can offset their carbon footprint and contribute to global emissions reductions. Globally, carbon financing presents opportunities for individuals, businesses and project developers. It provides the means to access additional financing for sustainable projects, incentivizes clean and green investments, and helps address climate change issues.

All companies will have to take responsibility for their carbon footprint, and carbon offset projects are becoming a strong ally.  A business may have already identified its sources of emissions, calculated its greenhouse gas emissions and implemented strict reduction measures… yet emissions that are difficult to reduce persist. These are emissions that can neither be reduced nor prevented.  Although there are currently technologies being developed to further help meet companies' carbon reduction goals, immediate action is needed to offset the unabated footprint. ((Jennifer L, carboncredits)

CO₂ is not inherently a poisonous or dangerous gas. Plants consume it during photosynthesis, which supports their growth and whose end product is oxygen - irreplaceable for life on Earth. However, the problem arises when the amount of CO₂ emitted into the atmosphere is greater than its absorption by nature, or if nature "doesn't have time" to pump out the excess amount of released CO₂. Under these conditions, we are talking about global warming of the Earth. Your car releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere with every kilometer driven, which burdens the environment and contributes to global warming. If you want to minimize the load on your vehicle, one option is to drive more economically. Carbon offset is also an extremely important mechanism that neutralizes your car's emissions.

Members of the OMV SMILE & DRIVE club receive loyalty points for each refueling, which they can use for various benefits within the SMILE & DRIVE club. From now on, OMV SMILE & DRIVE loyalty points can also be used to offset CO₂ emissions, thereby helping the environment together. With just 30 OMV SMILE & DRIVE loyalty points, you can offset the amount of emissions released into the atmosphere when burning 32 liters of fuel. You can donate points directly at an OMV gas station, via the OMV SMILE & DRIVE app or directly on the website here.

What is carbon offset and why is it used? Carbon offsets are used by sustainability managers to make progress toward a company's greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals. Carbon offsets allow companies to reduce their carbon footprint by supporting projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. These projects may include activities such as renewable energy production, reforestation and conservation of natural resources. By purchasing carbon offsets, companies can reduce their own emissions and contribute to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, carbon offsets can provide a way for companies to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability to consumers, shareholders and other stakeholders. (Steven Anderson)

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Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry plans for the forestry sector to offset the carbon emissions produced by the energy sector to achieve a net reduction of 140 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030. The Ministry's Director of Change Control Climate Director General, Laksmi Dhewanthi, said that power sector emissions are still projected to rise to meet domestic energy demand. "Indonesia is still well below average middle-income countries in terms of per capita energy consumption," it noted in a statement on Tuesday. (Translation: Sugiharto P, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Anton Santoso)

A high-level African forum aimed at unpacking business opportunities arising from a voluntary carbon market is expected to be held in Victoria Falls - a designated international financial services hub - early next month. The Credit Markets Forum will take place under the theme "Accelerating Africa to a Climate Economy". It is organized by the local company Africa Voluntary Carbon Credits Market (AVCCM). Voluntary carbon credits are not regulated by governments or international agencies, but are purchased voluntarily by individuals or businesses seeking to offset their emissions. (Martin Kadzere)

Carbon offset programs allow individuals and businesses to offset their environmental footprint by paying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere. While it may sound complicated, the programs on our list make it easy by offering user-friendly calculators and hassle-free online transactions. Additionally, these platforms connect users with important projects, such as reforestation efforts and renewable energy development in communities around the planet. With less reputable programs, there is a possibility that the compensation funds will not go to the actual offset project. To protect customers, the best carbon offset programs only work with projects that are certified by third-party organizations. Therefore, our list only includes programs that are transparent in supporting certified carbon offset projects. (Kiah Treece)

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Loam Bio was founded in 2019 by a group of farmers and agronomists with the aim of solving the problem of increasing carbon in our agricultural land while maximizing productivity on the farm. Since then, Loam has been developing commercial microbial products and delivering a global product development program which in Australia has included:

• 36 greenhouse trials
• 198 small plot trials
• 57,789 soil samples analyzed

(The Farmer Magazine)

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The cost of carbon offsets could double for companies by 2030, according to new analysis. International professional services firm Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) recently published a report revealing that FTSE 350 companies have publicly announced voluntary purchases of carbon offsets worth £38m in 2022. However, analysis of BloombergNEF forecasts suggests that the same amount of offsets could cost companies by the end decade worth more than £154 million, a significant increase of 256 %. Dimitris (Mavrokefalidis)

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