Offset

An emissions reduction achieved by undertaking a greenhouse gas emission reduction project.

(CAEP, ICAO, 2006)

A carbon offset programme aims at mitigating CO₂ emissions of one specific source by reducing CO₂ emissions from another source.

Carbon offset markets can be mandatory (compliance scheme) as well as voluntary. The flexible mechanisms (Emision Trading, CDM and JI) introduced by the Kyoto Protocol and the EU-ETS are the most well-known compliance schemes to invest in carbon offset projects to obtain emission credits.

For more details on offsetting programmes related to the aviation sector, see also :

• the synthesis on Offset programmes and the aviation sector (in construction)
• the study "Etude comparative des programmes de compensation volontaire des émissions de CO₂ par les passagers d’avion" and its updated version
• the recent WWF study on "Making Sense of the Voluntary Carbon Market - A Comparison of Carbon Offset Standards"

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