FAQ
Climate change & climate protection
What is climate change?
Over the course of millions of years, the global climate has experienced fluctuations. Since the beginning of industrialisation, however, the composition of the atmosphere has changed as a result of greenhouse gas emissions. This global warming caused by human beings intensifies the natural greenhouse effect and is leading to detectable changes to the climate.
What are the effects of climate change and global warming?
Since the beginning of industrialisation, the composition of the atmosphere has changed as a result of greenhouse gas emissions. This global warming caused by human beings intensifies the natural greenhouse effect and is leading to detectable changes to the climate. This global warming also has a significant effect on people and nature.
Is the climate change caused by humans?
This global warming caused by human beings intensifies the natural greenhouse effect and is leading to detectable changes to the climate. Over the course of millions of years, the global climate has experienced fluctuations, but recent warming also has a significant effect on people and nature.
What are greenhouse gases?
Greenhouse gases are the gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that produce the greenhouse effect. Most greenhouse gases can have either a natural or an anthropogenic (man-made) source.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is basically a natural process that has a significant impact on the temperature on Earth. However, since the beginning of industrialisation, the presence of long-lasting greenhouse gases has been increasing dramatically.
What is CO2 and where does it come from?
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colourless and odourless gas that is a natural component of our air and makes up part of the carbon cycle.
What are CO2 equivalents?
A CO2 equivalent (CO2e) is a unit of measurement that is used to standardise the climate effects of various greenhouse gases.
Who produces CO2?
Around 84% of all anthropogenic (man-made) CO2 emissions are created in electricity and heat production, agriculture, industry and transport.
What is sustainability?
The ecological definition of sustainability originated with the Brundtland Report in 1987, which describes sustainable development as one that satisfies the needs of the present without adversely affecting the conditions for future generations.
What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are common, universal goals for member states of the United Nations to transform the world into a fairer, more prosperous and peaceful society until 2030. They were adopted in September 2015.
What are climate offset projects?
Climate offset projects support the use of renewable energy, realise energy efficiency measures or reduce methane emissions. This can be achieved through technological advances, afforestation and other suitable measures.
What standards do our climate offset projects meet?
BlocCarbon applies only the strictest independent quality standards such as CDM, Gold Standard and Plan Vivo when choosing and designing its climate offset projects.
What meaningful measures and solutions are available for counteracting climate change?
Everyone can make a contribution! In line with the motto “Avoid, reduce and compensate”, we can take responsibility for our own ecological footprints. Common causes are travel, heating, and consumption behaviour.
What is the Swiss CO2 Act?
The revised CO2 Act contains various measures to reduce Switzerland’s CO2 emissions. Specifically, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to half of the 1990 level by 2030 as part of the Paris Agreement.
What exactly is “the climate”?
For scientists, the term “climate” encompasses weather patterns over a long period. Although this term is somewhat abstract, its impact is very real. What is the difference between weather and climate? And what are the climate factors and drivers?
Carbon-Offset
What are CO2 certificates?
CO2 certificates represent the amount of emissions that are offset. A certificate corresponds to one ton of greenhouse gases.
What is Carbon Insetting?
Insetting refers to a company offsetting its emissions through a carbon offset project within its own value chain. In contrast to a typical carbon offset project, emissions are avoided, reduced or sequestered upstream or downstream within the company’s own value chain.
Why should I offset my emissions?
Climate change caused by humans is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. True to myclimate’s motto “do your best, offset the rest”, it’s best to avoid creating CO2 emissions in the first place. However, due to the fact that the most important thing for the climate is to reduce the amount of emissions worldwide, unavoidable emissions can also be offset.
What is a CO2 budget?
The term CO2 budget is intended to illustrate how much CO2 we are allowed to create individually through our lifestyles if global warming is to be limited to 1.5 °C. By ratifying the Paris Agreement, Switzerland has set itself the goal of reducing its emissions to zero net, by 2100 at the latest, and limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. This means that each person in Switzerland must emit less than 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per annum until 2100.
How does my offsetting contribute to climate protection?
The BlocCarbon climate protection projects reduce emissions by replacing fossil energy sources with renewable energy or by promoting energy-efficient technologies. High-quality climate protection projects also contribute to social, ecological and economic development in their respective regions.
Isn’t offsetting just something to help me have a clear conscience?
Offsetting achieves more than a clear conscience; by supports a high-quality climate protection project, you take effective action for the climate and make a valuable contribution to the environment.
How much of my offsetting will go to the projects?
CO2 offsetting only achieves something if the payments are actually used directly for climate protection projects. As a non-profit foundation, BlocCarbon guarantees that at least 80 percent of offsetting payments will be used directly in climate protection projects. The foundation requires the remaining amount (maximum 20 percent) to cover administration and internal costs.
Can I be sure that my money really reduces the promised amount of CO2?
BlocCarbon invests exclusively in projects that deliver measurable and long-term success. Only emissions reductions that have actually been realised and can be proven over a longer contract term of 7 to 14 years are counted in energy projects. Offsetting payments are normally paid out to the supported projects once reductions are realised. The contribution amount depends on the volume of the project’s greenhouse gas reduction. Forestry projects are slightly different because they have a longer timeline of 30 to 50 years.
Emissions & footprint
What is an ecological footprint?
The ecological footprint was developed by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees in the mid-1990s and it has since been implemented as an indicator for sustainability. It represents the demands made on the ecosystem and natural resources.
What is a digital carbon footprint?
The digital transformation has brought many benefits that also have a positive impact on the fight against climate change and reduce CO2 emissions. However, the production, use and data transfer of digital devices causes more CO2 emissions than one might expect. These emissions are summarised under the terms “digital CO2 footprint” or “digital carbon footprint”.
What is climate neutrality?
Activities are climate-neutral or CO2 neutral if they do not put a strain on the climate, i.e. if they do not create greenhouse gases.
What does “net zero emissions” mean?
“Net zero emission” by 2030 or 2050 is being demanded by the climate movement triggered by Greta Thunberg. So what exactly does “net zero emission” mean?
What are Science-Based Targets (SBT)?
Science-based targets are a new approach for setting emissions reduction targets for companies. In contrast to typical potential-based climate goals, SBTs follow a top-down perspective and focus on the amount of emissions that have to be reduced in order to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
What are “negative emissions”?
To reach zero net emissions and limit global warming to 1.5°C, it is necessary to remove and permanently store CO2 from the atmosphere. This is called Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). As it is the opposite of emissions, these practices or technologies are often described as achieving “negative emissions” or “sinks”. There is a direct link between zero net emissions and CDR: The earlier zero net emissions are achieved, the less CDR is necessary. Therefore, the projected amount of required CDR over the 21st century varies from 100 to 1’000 Gt CO2.
What is emissions trading?
In Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, national and regional emissions trading systems have been introduced to regulate industries that are particularly energy-intensive and emissions-intensive through a market mechanism. Emissions trading employs a marketplace to reduce emissions of harmful gases, which creates motivation for investing in climate-friendly technologies.
What is sufficiency?
Sufficiency, often also referred to as frugality, starts with consumer behaviour. Based on the principle of “less is more”, the general consumption of resources should be reduced to a level that can be reasonably sustained in the future, as the current distribution ratios for goods and resources are not only ecologically dangerous, but also internationally questionable.
What are the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement?
At the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted with the aim of stabilising greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a sustainable level and thus counteracting serious consequences. Following ratification by the 50th state, it entered into force in 1994.
What are emission scenarios, climate models and climate projections?
Climate models are used together with emission scenarios to calculate the probable future climate, so-called climate projections. The climate models describe how the earth’s climate functions, while the emission scenarios describe the impact of humans on the environment. If the climate models are combined with the emission scenarios, it is possible to predict with a certain amount of probability how the climate will be in the future.
What is meant by flight shame?
In connection with the topics of climate change and climate protection, there is also repeated talk of “flight shame”. The term “flight shame” refers to the feeling of air travellers who are aware of the climate-damaging consequences of their journey, but still fly. Thus, they feel ashamed of their flight. At the same time, we also talk about the trend to consciously decide against air travel in order to actively reduce one’s personal CO2 footprint.