We want to make it easy for everyone to understand the principles and measurements around climate change and hemp carbon offset. We’ll continue adding to this resource. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, please get in touch and we’ll help you.
CO2
CO2 is the chemical name for carbon dioxide. It is a molecule consisting of one carbon atom combined with two oxygen atoms. CO2 is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels.
Co-benefits
Benefits additional to carbon removal. For example, using industrial hemp to sequester CO2 also delivers job creation, soil improvement, and reduced water consumption. Ideally, co-benefits should align with UN SDGs – Sustainable Development Goals.
CORSIA
Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, which was set up by the aviation sector to offset its greenhouse gas emissions. International airline operators taking part in CORSIA have pledged to offset all the CO2 emissions they produce above a baseline 2019 level.
Fossil fuels
Fossil fuels are made from the compression of Earth’s past life forms over millions of years. When you burn petrol in your car’s engine, you are literally burning the remains of dinosaurs. Fossil fuels are also known as hydrocarbons, rich in hydrogen (an explosive gas) and carbon (the root of all life on Earth). When hydrocarbons burn, they join with oxygen to release energy from the hydrogen. The carbon then links up with the oxygen to form CO2 as a waste gas that can literally heat up a planet.
GHGs
Greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide, CO2, is the primary gas that causes heat to be trapped and retained by our atmosphere, causing a greenhouse effect. Other GHGs include methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases.
Global warming
The process by which greenhouse gases – GHGs – such as CO2 trap the sun’s heat in our atmosphere, instead of letting it reflect back into space. The key points to remember about global warming are that a warmer atmosphere holds more water vapour, and is also more energetic. This is already leading to severe weather events, from flash floods to tornadoes. It also leads to changes in the atmosphere’s patterns of precipitation, so some places will get too much rain while other places get little or no rain.
NbS
Nature-based Solutions to climate change, such as growing hemp or forests. Forestry carbon offsets are generally discredited, as most trees are lost before they show a net carbon benefit. Preservation of existing rainforests is another example of NbS.
SDGs
UN Sustainable Development Goals are 17 goals for humanity to achieve by 2030. Hempoffset is mainly focused on Goal 13 – Climate Action, but we aim to make a difference across all 17 goals. Learn more: https://www.globalgoals.org/
VCM
Voluntary Carbon Market. Voluntary carbon markets allow carbon emitters to offset their unavoidable emissions by purchasing carbon credits emitted by projects targeted at removing or reducing GHG from the atmosphere. Each credit – which corresponds to one metric tonne of reduced, avoided, or removed CO2 or equivalent GHG – can be used by a company or an individual to compensate for the emission of one tonne of CO2 or equivalent gases. When a credit is used for this purpose, it becomes an offset. It is moved to a register for retired credits, or retirements, and it is no longer tradable. Companies can participate in the voluntary carbon market either individually or as part of an industry-wide scheme, such as the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, which was set up by the aviation sector to offset its greenhouse gas emissions. International airline operators taking part in CORSIA have pledged to offset all the CO2 emissions they produce above a baseline 2019 level.
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