Offset your footprint

Whether you are a business or an individual, Taking Root can help guide you through the process of calculating and offsetting your carbon emissions.

Calculating your footprint

The first step is to calculate your carbon footprint and see how many offsets are needed to compensate for your carbon emissions. To do this, Taking Root offers a thorough carbon footprint analysis that includes energy consumption, travels, daily operations and/or the transportation and production of goods or the provision of services.

Based on the information that you provide us with, Taking Root’s analyst team calculates and verifies your carbon footprint using the most up-to-date data and standards, developed by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative. The detailed report that you receive includes the footprint calculations, methodology, assumptions, results and references.

To see a sample analysis, download Santropol’s carbon footprint analysis 2010.

Offsetting for businesses

Taking Root offers a comprehensive offsetting and promotion package for businesses of all sorts.

Why offset

Consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the face of climate change, which in turn is influencing their purchasing decisions. Studies show that for a business to stay competitive, it must offer more environmentally- and socially conscious products and services.

For example, the tendency in Quebec to consume eco-responsibly has increased by 41% since last year, according to Le Baromètre 2011 de la consommation responsable, a study executed by l’Observatoire de la consommation responsible at the University of Sherbrooke. This is demonstrated by consumers’ consumption choices, perception of responsible consumption, awareness of environmental problems in the media and their related concerns, such as health and water and air protection.

Taking Root urges businesses to demonstrate their environmental leadership by calculating, reducing and offsetting their carbon footprints. With our social reforestation carbon offsets, businesses can help improve both our global environment and the lives of smallholder farmers in developing countries.

Promoting carbon responsibility

It is important for businesses to communicate to their clients about their decision to offset in a clear and appealing way. To help your business do this, Taking Root has created the CO2 Responsible promotional kit, which grabs consumers’ attention and engages them using interactive print and online tools. Find out more >>

What to offset

Businesses can compensate for any activity that requires the use of energy, the consumption of gas or the production of CO2 and other GHG emissions. This includes such activities as:

Events

An easy place to start is by compensating for the emissions of events such as conferences, seminars, meetings and concerts. Taking Root can help you calculate the footprint of guest’s travel, energy consumption, waste management, food service and more. We can also help you communicate to participants about this important decision.

For more information on the new Quebec norm on responsible event management, visit: www.evenementecoresponsable.com

Business activities

Whether it’s the carbon emitted while importing and processing coffee, the energy used to run an office, or the emissions from company vehicles, Taking Root can work with your business to calculate the carbon footprint of any or all aspects of its activities.

Travel

Corporate travel is a way of connecting directly with clients and partners around the world. If Skype or phone doesn’t do it justice, your business is encouraged to offset its corporate flights.

Starting the process

To start the process today, simply send us an email with the name and type of business you have and we’ll get back to you within 48 hours to find out more.

Carbon offset pricing

Taking Root offers competitive rates for its carbon offsets. Should you require more details or would like to inquire about alternative options available, please contact us.

Taking Root is also pleased to offer wholesale quantities and rates. For further information, please contact us.

Offsetting for individuals

In order to curb the effects of climate change, Taking Root strongly encourages individuals worldwide to take responsibility for their carbon footprints by both reducing and offsetting their GHG emissions.

Taking Root offers unique social reforestation carbon offsets that contribute to the mitigation of climate change, to the restoration of ecosystems, and to climate change adaptation through sustainable community economic development activities in Nicaragua. By offsetting, individuals help improve both our global environment and the lives of smallholder farmers in developing countries.

What to offset

Taking Root is pleased to take you through the quantification process and calculate the footprint for such activities as:

International transportation including flights, train or inter-city bus
Local travel including driving, taxis, city bus, subway, light-rail and more
Energy consumption at home or at work

Average footprint

Below are a few examples of the average carbon footprints generated by typical activities.

Per individual

According to the Canadian Living Planet Report 2007, released by Global Footprint Network and WWF Canada, Canada has the fourth highest Ecological Footprint per person of all nations. On average, each Canadian produces between 5-9 tonnes of CO2 per year. This means that if everyone lived like Canadians, we would need 4.3 Earths to support us!

Both the average American and average Australian emit around 20 tonnes of CO2 a year; whereas those in poorer nations like India emit an average of 1.2 tonnes.

For drivers

On average, a mid-size car emits one tonne of CO2 every 5,000 kilometers. This means that for those who drive, about 50% of their carbon footprint comes from driving.

For flights

A round-trip flight from Montreal to Paris emits around one tonne of CO2e per passenger. In Canada, domestic flights accounted for 7,200,000 tCO2e.

Starting the process

To begin the process of calculating and offsetting your carbon footprint, simply send us an email telling us what you would like to offset. We’ll get back to you within 48 hours for further details.

Carbon offset pricing

Taking Root offers competitive rates for its carbon offsets. Each social reforestation offset costs $25, though larger volumes are available at reduced rates. For complete details, please contact us.

Share|