Why we are doing this
To do something positive outside business as usual that has a positive impact, learn and share the learning (see previous post). One of the reasons for a home option is to have a high level of confidence that any credits we buy will have a genuine long term impact.
Where are we doing it
The gut feel here was that investing in something more local, as in UK, would give us higher confidence. So we have gone with UK Carbon Code of Conduct Standard credits, having also considered Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Carbon Code options. Personal preference rather than any judgement of their relative merits. The credits are from a farm in Kent, and come from increased habitat creation and a transition to regenerative agriculture. Farming currently accounts for circa 10% of UK Green House Gas Emissions.
What have we bought
27 High Integrity Carbon Credits according to our certificate SA-CAR-SUS-14 – Certificate-CreditsPurchased-SustainableX (002).
Having purchased the credits, the next step is to retire the credits. Upon instruction, these credits will be retired and a retirement certificate issued. This can then be used as evidence, alongside a carbon foot audit report, to claim carbon neutrality (we won’t and don’t suggest you do) or demonstrate your commitment to making positive impacts. This will then be updated on the registry and these credits will then no-longer be available for offsets from other companies.
We’re told this represents 27 tonnes of carbon either removed from the atmosphere by vegetation and stored in the soil, or not generated in the first place by using lower carbon farming methods. The additional carbon in the soil can be quantified through measurements and modelling. The primary ways carbon emissions are reduced is through reduced tillage and reduced use of chemical inputs . Together, these soil carbon credits financially incentivise the transition to more sustainable land management practices that combat climate change while benefiting farmers and the environment.
How confident are we in their integrity?
Our guides on this journey are the excellent Nature Broking who have a healthy obsession with the quality of the credits they offer. As part of the education element of this project, and to further cement our confidence levels we will be visiting the farm with Nature Broking to see the carbon elimination in practice. I’m told there are maggots involved so Rondi is happy to let me run with this one …. The next post will hopefully share some details from the visit.