As part of a company’s CSR (corporate social responsibility) efforts, specifically in industries that have a heavy impact on our environment through greenhouse gas emissions, management has the opportunity to “offset” emissions, thereby becoming more environment-friendly. This is a huge business opportunity and James Tansey, CEO of Offsetters, is at the forefront of the “offsetting industry”.
First and foremost, Offsetters offers projects that reduce greenhouse gases around the globe as compensation for the emissions by companies that buy their services. For example, Harbour Air markets itself to be carbon-neutral through Offsetters. As the graphic below shows, projects such as reforestation financed through the airline compensate for the high carbon dioxide emissions:
An article posted on “Business in Vancouver” projects that the offsetting industry will most certainly gain popularity in the future. The article states that because of new legislation requiring certain companies to invest in offsetting projects, the demand for services offered by, e.g. Offsetters, will increase.
In my opinion, this might not even be necessary; in the long run, as more and more consumers become environmentally-aware, they will naturally turn towards products and services that are certified to be environment-friendly, e.g. through carbon offsetting by a renowned company. This is also the competitive advantage of Offsetters, as they are well-positioned in the market. Following James Tansey:
“we’ve got that depth in the regulated markets that very few people have.”
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