Net-zero drive triggers surge in voluntary offset interest

Voluntary carbon offsets permanently retire allowances and therefore verifiably lock in climate benefits

The surge in commitments by countries and private companies to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 has triggered a boom in interest in voluntary carbon offsets. The number of commitments doubled in the year to September, according to the UN, and the trend has only accelerated since. Net-zero pledges require entities to lower their absolute emissions before balancing any remaining emissions with carbon sinks, such as planting forests or carbon capture and storage systems that remove GHGs from the atmosphere. Carbon offsets are increasingly being explored as a way to net-out ongoing CO2 emissions that cannot immediately be removed. Corporates around the world are shifting t