Our medium-term goal is for our company to not only produce CO2 neutrally, but to actually become CO2 positive. How do we achieve this? The solution is simple and efficient: by purchasing fallow land, which we will reforest. In this way, we bind huge amounts of CO2 and compensate for our CO2 emissions many times over. The rule of thumb is that every hectare of forest can store 6 tons of CO2 annually. For comparison, every Swiss citizen has an average CO2 emission of around 4.4 tons annually. By sustainably reforesting forests, we bind CO2 and increase biodiversity.
We will keep you informed about the status of our CO2-positive project and provide you with updates in our blog.
What does carbon neutrality mean?
Being carbon neutral means that the amount of carbon (carbon dioxide, also called CO2) emitted is equal to the amount of carbon absorbed from the atmosphere, thanks to carbon sinks such as forests, which absorb and store more carbon from the atmosphere than they emit (European Parliament, 2021).
For a company to be carbon neutral, it typically first reduces its carbon (CO2) emissions as much as possible. Then it invests in carbon sinks (offsets) to compensate for the remaining amount of carbon emitted by its operations. When the company's total carbon emissions are equal to the amount of emissions reduced by the carbon offsets, the company is considered carbon neutral.
What does net zero mean and how is it different from carbon neutrality?
Net zero is a similar concept to carbon neutral, but goes beyond just carbon emissions and is usually broader in scope. Net zero means that all greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere are equal to the greenhouse gases removed from the atmosphere on a global scale (ClimateSeed, 2021). In other words, net zero emissions are achieved when human activities no longer cause global warming.
Crucially, net zero emissions include all greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the best known greenhouse gas. However, there are others such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N20) (David Suzuki Foundation, 2021).
Some companies will be able to eliminate all sources of greenhouse gases from their operations. This is called absolute zero and does not require offsets. However, most will not be able to reach this goal and will need to purchase offsets to account for the greenhouse gases emitted. The combination of these two approaches is included in Net Zero.
To stop global warming, Net Zero must be achieved on a global scale. It must also be permanent, meaning that the greenhouse gases removed from the atmosphere are not released back into the atmosphere. For example, when forest fires occur, the greenhouse gases trapped in trees are released back into the atmosphere. While individual and private sector action is crucial, action must also be taken at the national government level to achieve net zero emissions (United Nations, 2020), and that is why COP26 is so important.