All the answers to your questions
Are you curious about our carbon offsetting partner myclimate? Here you'll find the answers to the most common questions. You can also visit the myclimate website to read more about the good work they do.
- What is carbon offsetting?
- What difference does offsetting with myclimate/KILROY make?
- What can and can’t it solve?
- Who is KILROY working with for carbon offsetting?
- How does myclimate differ from other offsetting organisations?
- Why is this carbon offsetting model more expensive than other offsetting solutions?
- Why does myclimate have offsetting models that are cheaper (eg. Lufthansa) than the myclimate/KILROY offsetting model?
- How does myclimate calculate the carbon compensation?
- Where do the funds go?
- How much of the funds are used for administration costs?
- How does myclimate ensure that "credits" are not resold?
- Why are the two chosen projects in Nicaragua and Madagascar recommended?
- Where can I find more information on the two projects?
- Is it possible to visit the projects?
What is carbon offsetting?
Basically, carbon offsetting means that emissions produced in one place are reduced in another place. For emissions that cannot be avoided or have not yet been reduced, customers can take on the responsibility, calculate their emissions and pay a price for the emissions, all on a voluntary basis.
Myclimate offers the ability to make offsetting payments in high-quality carbon offset projects. At the same time, local communities benefit from the projects and new technologies.
What difference does offsetting with myclimate/KILROY make?
KILROY customers support projects in Madagascar and Nicaragua that reduce effective carbon emissions, counter deforestation and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The myclimate carbon offsetting projects reduce emissions either by replacing non-renewable energy sources with renewable energy sources, or by promoting energy-efficient technologies and storing carbon through ecosystem restoration.
High-quality carbon offset projects also contribute to social, ecological and economic development in their respective regions and therefore contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals SDGs.
You can read more about our projects in Madagascar and Nicaragua.
What can and can't it solve?
Carbon offsetting is a bridging technology that provides us with time before we manage to fully decarbonise our economy and society.
Carbon offsetting is a proven, measurable and impactful tool. Of course, it’s not the silver bullet in the fight against climate change, but in combination with the effective avoidance and reduction measures for CO₂ emissions, it makes good sense.
Science clearly states that we only have a limited budget of CO₂ emissions left to emit into the atmosphere if we want to meet the global 1.5°C target set by the Paris Climate Agreement. It doesn’t matter where those emissions come from - it's the overall balance that matters. Therefore, offsetting is a simple "polluters pay" principle, meaning that the carbon offsetting contribution neutralises the emissions.
Who is KILROY working with for carbon offsetting?
KILROY is working with myclimate, a Swiss-based NGO and frontrunner in carbon accounting and the development of carbon offset projects.
Myclimate is a partner for effective climate protection, globally and locally. Together with industry partners and private individuals, myclimate wants to shape the future of the world through advisory services and educational programs, as well as its own projects. It does so in a market-oriented and customer-focused way as a non-profit organisation.
This international initiative with Swiss roots is one of the world’s quality leaders in voluntary CO₂-offsetting measures. Its customers include large, medium-sized and small companies, public administrations, non-profit organisations, event organisers and private individuals. Via its partner organisations, myclimate is represented in countries including Germany, Austria, Sweden and Norway, and serves clients worldwide.
Only projects that meet the highest globally recognised standards can successfully help protect the climate. Myclimate draws on the strictest, most independent quality standards when selecting and structuring its own carbon offset projects.
The foundation works closely with experienced partners in the respective countries to implement carbon offset projects. These local partners ensure that projects are realised professionally, and they also regularly review the projects’ impact.
Carbon offset projects are closely monitored and undergo an annual review by independent third-party auditors and the respective standard body prior to issuing carbon credits.
How does myclimate differ from other offsetting organisations?
Myclimate is one of the forerunners in voluntary carbon offsetting and a trusted partner for corporate clients, as well as for institutions like the UN Gold Standard, German Environment Agency (UBA) and Swiss Federal Office for the environment.
The foundation has more than 17 years of experience with a portfolio of more than 100 projects in over 30 countries. The foundation is not allowed to make a profit - the aim of the foundation is to enable as much climate protection on a global and local level as possible.
Although the foundation’s roots are in carbon offsetting, myclimate also offers programmes and products that aim to fully avoid CO₂ emissions or to reduce existing CO₂ footprints. Myclimate values carbon offsetting as a bridging technology and as a proven tool for climate protection.
All of the achievements in the foundation's projects, the annual financial figures, and its cash flow are published on www.myclimate.org and are constantly reviewed by several independent organisations, like KPMG, SGS and the "Eidgenössische Stiftungsaufsicht" (Swiss foundation's controlling authority).
Why is this carbon offsetting model more expensive than other offsetting solutions available?
The myclimate/KILROY carbon offsetting model supports two high-quality, community-based projects that not only save CO₂ emissions, but also reach out to thousands of beneficiaries and contribute effectively to the SDG (Sustainable Development goals).
The price of a carbon offset model depends on the size of the project, the technology used and the country where the project is running. Hence why community-based projects fulfilling the requirements have a higher price than large-scale projects with less monitoring and fewer co-benefits.
Myclimate focuses on high-quality carbon offset projects with a measurable and impactful contribution to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Rather than investing in large-scale, industrial projects like wind farms, the foundation supports community-based projects that bring sustainable technologies to families and communities in remote areas. These projects measurably save CO₂ emissions, while also creating job opportunities, reducing man-animal conflicts, saving natural habitats or enabling education for children.
The offsetting mechanism enables myclimate to finance the additional costs that (inevitably) arise from the use of renewable sources of energy in place of fossil fuels. It would be impossible to effectively realise projects like these without covering these additional costs.
Why does myclimate have offsetting models that are cheaper (eg. Lufthansa) than the myclimate/KILROY offsetting model?
The myclimate/Kilroy model calculates the full impact on the climate of the travel activity, whereas other models focus on CO₂ emissions only.
Some myclimate partners, like Lufthansa, have decided to calculate CO₂-related emissions as long as there is not 100% clarity on the scale of additional effects contributing to global warming. Accordingly, these airlines offer their customers a "CO₂ neutral" flight via offsetting, but not a "climate-neutral by myclimate" one. This calculation results in a lower emission result and therefore a cheaper offsetting contribution.
Statistics have shown that the vast majority of people choose to offset the full climate impact of their flights and hence do it directly with myclimate, or with partners such as ourselves, who do in fact offer a “climate-neutral” services via myclimate, and not just a CO₂ neutral service.
Myclimate believes that for each activity or product, we should calculate the full impact on our climate. In terms of flying, the CO₂ emissions from the production, the transport and finally the combustion of kerosene contribute on a large scale to the impact on the climate. But also nitrogen compounds and aerosols must be included and mathematically converted into CO₂ equivalents, if people want to fully balance out their individual impact on the climate.
However, despite there being a scientific consensus about this extra contribution, there isn’t a consensus on its scale until today. For the calculation of flight CO₂ emissions, myclimate values the non-CO₂ greenhouse gases with a factor of '2', scientifically-backed by recent studies (Jungbluth & Meili), and recommendations for calculation of the global warming potential of aviation including the radiative forcing index (ESU-services, Schaffhausen, November 2018).
How does myclimate calculate the compensation?
Myclimate calculates the full impact on the climate of the travel activity for the compensation.
The myclimate flight calculator determines the quantity of CO₂ emissions that an aeroplane emits per passenger for a given flight distance. Nitrogen compounds and aerosols are also included and converted into CO2 equivalents.
The calculation is based on average consumption data for typical short-haul and long-haul aeroplanes. The calculation also takes into account whether you are flying economy, business or first class. The detailed calculation principle can be found here.
Where do the funds go?
The contributions go to a dedicated myclimate/KILROY fund where spends are ear-marked for our two chosen projects.
Myclimate guarantees its customers that emissions reductions achieved through energy projects will be realised, at the latest, within two years via climate protection projects, and will be retired after a maximum of three years. Carbon storage in forests occurs within 10 to 30 years, depending on the project region and tree species. There are comprehensive, special mechanisms in place to monitor the reductions achieved in forestry.
CO₂ offsetting only has an impact when offsetting payments are directed straight to carbon offset projects. Myclimate supports carbon offset projects on a service-specific basis. Only emission reductions that have been realised and can be proven over a longer contract term of seven to 14 years are accounted for in energy projects.
Offsetting payments are normally paid out to the supported projects once reductions are realised. The actual contribution amount depends on the volume of climate-impacting emissions saved. Forestry projects are slightly different in that their timelines naturally stretch over a longer span of 30 to 50 years.
How much of the funds are used for administration costs?
Less than 20%.
As a non-profit foundation, myclimate guarantees that at least 80 percent of offsetting payments will be used directly in carbon offsetting projects. The foundation requires the remaining amount (maximum 20 percent) to cover administration and internal costs. The average percentage of myclimate’s organisational overhead over the last 17 years is 18%.
How does myclimate ensure that "credits" are not resold?
Myclimate has different measures in place that guarantee that a carbon credit (a certified CO₂ reduction) is only counted and sold once.
The Gold Standard Foundation ensures, through its requirements, that emission reductions achieved, e.g. by the efficient cookstove project in Madagascar, is recorded by only one project. This is achieved by clear labelling and numbering of the project stoves and by a comprehensive sales database. Avoidance of double-counting of project stoves is thoroughly checked during verification by a third-party auditor and during performance reviews by the Gold Standard.
Further, the Gold Standard issues for every emission reduction one carbon credit labelled by a unique serial number and listed in the Gold Standard registry. When a carbon credit has been used for offsetting, it will be retired in the Gold Standard registry. This action cannot be undone. Thus, the Gold Standard guarantees that a carbon credit is only issued and retired once.
Myclimate has developed its own registry to manage the large portfolio of carbon offset projects and the sale of offsetting services to clients. This registry is verified by a third-party auditor (SGS) on an annual basis to guarantee that the number of carbon credits sold to clients and the number of carbon credits reserved or retired is consistent. Myclimate manages the carbon credits on behalf of its clients and retires the carbon credits in both the myclimate and the Gold Standard/VCS registries. This ensures that issued carbon credits are only sold once.
For each individual KILROY customer choosing to offset, the amount of CO₂ and CO₂ certificates will be officially decommissioned on both registry platforms. Hence, it is not possible to sell one offset tonne more than once.
Why are the two chosen projects in Nicaragua and Madagascar recommended?
Both projects have a high impact and tackle huge environmental and social problems.
The two projects meet different UN SDGs (Sustainable development goals), but is it possible to define what goals are met? It is. Myclimate calculates and monitors the SDGs impact of each of our projects annually. We will also calculate how much the offsetting of KILROY’s clients will specifically contribute to the selected SDGs.
The Madagascar project
The distribution of solar cookstoves is an effective means to combat the quickly advancing deforestation in Madagascar and to reduce CO₂ emissions from the use of non-renewable biomass. The island has lost between 40-50% of its natural forest since 1950.
The climate-friendly cookstoves save up to 50% of charcoal or firewood consumption, resulting in valuable monetary savings for a household’s budget or time savings through a less frequent gathering of firewood. Women and children especially benefit from the zero-emissions solar cookers or cleaner combustion of efficient cookers due to less exposure to smoke during cooking. Additionally, the local project partner ADES finances one tree for reforestation each time a cookstove gets sold [KL2].
The Madagascar project has so far contributed to the following SDGs:
- SDG 1: Over 1,2 million people benefit, amongst other things, from lower fuel expenses (24 EUR saved per household per year).
- SDG 3: Mainly women and children benefit from better air quality.
- SDG 4: During 712 school visits almost 80,000 pupils and around 3,500 teachers have been sensitized for climate protection and clean cooking.
- SDG 5: Especially women and girls have to spend less time collecting firewood and maintaining the cooking fire.
- SDG 7: 212.220 solar and efficient cookstoves have been produced and sold.
- SDG 8: 138 permanent employees and various work experience offers. Another 143 jobs with local suppliers and around 100 independent stoves retailers.
- SDG 12: 9 different stove models are being locally produced with local material in 8 centers.
- SDG 13: Each stove saves around 1.7 t CO₂ per year and 2.3 t wood or 0.7 t charcoal.
- SDG 15: 1.7 million t wood saved so far, equaling 8,810 ha of forest area saved.
The Nicaragua project
The project in Nicaragua addresses the causes of deforestation, ensures direct and ongoing community involvement and technical training, and provides financial benefits for participants throughout the project. This occurs through payments for ecosystem services (PES) and income from timber and sustainable forest products.
As a result, this multi-faceted approach will reduce forest degradation by easing pressure on surrounding natural forest while at the same time sequester quantifiable volumes of CO₂ from the atmosphere and improve the environmental and socio-economic conditions of families located in the community of San Juan de Limay.
The Nicaragua reforestation project contributes to 10 SDGs:
- SDG 1: Payments being made to communities across 1,357 farming families where people are living on less than $2/day.
- SDG 4: Conducted over 30,000 capacity building workshops providing education & training to smallholder farmers.
- SDG 5: Women make up 45% of the professional team, many of whom hold leadershop positions.
- SDG 7: Natural wood fallen from forest provide renewable source of energy for cooking.
- SDG 8: Additional income is created thorugh selling firewood and high value woodcrafts from the smallholder forests.
- SDG 10: 2,900 seasonal jobs per year, 80% of them are landless farmers.
- SDG 11: 292 rural communities engaged in the project.
- SDG 12: Farmers are not only sequestering CO2 and regenerating ecosystems but adapting the microclimate and reducing on farm temperatures to protect their yields.
- SDG 13: 1,518,386 t CO2 being stored.
- SDG 15: 10 million native trees planted, reforesting over 6,167 ha of land (equivalent of 11,527 football fields), habitat and local wildlife regeneration.
Where can I find more information on the chosen projects?
You can find more information, as well as short films and external reports, about the projects published on the myclimate website:
- Madagascar - Back to Green Island with Efficient and Solar Stoves
- Nicaragua - Community Reforestation
Is it possible to visit the projects?
KILROY and myclimate are working on a future set-up where KILROY customers can visit the dedicated projects.
But to make sure it's a sustainable solution that does not disturb the project and adds value, we need to develop a suitable solution. We are looking forward to communicating further on this when we are ready to welcome visitors.