The schemes allow firms and individuals to balance their carbon footprint, but critics say they are not enough to avert climate disaster
What is carbon offsetting?
Carbon dioxide has the same impact on the climate no matter where it is emitted and what the source, so if a tonne of carbon dioxide can be absorbed from the atmosphere in one part of the world it should cancel out a tonne of the gas emitted in another. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air as they grow and store it, making forests one of the biggest carbon sinks.
