Carbon Offsetting – Is It A Scam?

Carbon Offsetting – Is It A Scam?

Carbon output reduction has been a key focus for transport companies over the last few years. Much focus has been centered around the reduction of emissions in larger cities, with the introduction of low emission zones (LEZ) and Ultra low emissions zones (ULEZ) now common place. Similarly, manufacturers have also been quick to develop emission reducing technology in their engines, but where is the motivation for transport companies?

Many larger organisations use carbon reduction as a standard for gaining more business or increased revenue through an assumption they are doing the right thing with regards to the environment. Similarly, one of the key drivers in major tenders is related to how companies are reducing their environmental impact. There are a number of initiatives available for carbon offsetting for organisation, such as paying third parties to plant trees based on their carbon output.

This seems somewhat an easy route to becoming carbon neutral and could really be classed as a shortcut. This begs the question on whether companies actually care about reducing C02 output of if it is done purely as a scheme to benefit their bottom line

Martin Fryer

Martin Fryer is Managing Director of a specialist haulage company as well as a qualified transport manager with experience across multiple different industries. He holds a BA (Hons) in Logistics and is a chartered member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport.

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