In early 2020, the world faced an unprecedented situation as Covid-19 struck globally, placing most countries under lockdown and resulting in significant alteration of many government policies on energy demand, especially on the transport sector.
With many international borders closed and most people forced to stay home, transport patterns were reduced and consumption patterns changed. As a result, daily global CO² emissions of the transport sector decreased by 17% by early April 2020 compared to the 2019 levels.
However, the abrupt decline of global CO² emissions during the pandemic isn't here to stay for much longer -- as many countries have reopened their borders, resulting in a significant increase in international travel at the beginning of this year.
For instance, in March this year, the Indonesian government resolved to ease restrictions on domestic and international travel. It stopped requiring travellers to show a negative Covid-19 test result, if they have been fully vaccinated against the disease and received a booster shot.
A study by International Energy Agency (IEA) last year showed the global energy-related CO² emissions rose by 6% in 2021 to 36.3 billion tonnes (BT) as the world economy begins to recover from the Covid-19 crisis.
Rapid carbon emissions will inevitably rebound and will keep rising without substantial government efforts to slow them down. Hence, as individuals, we must take steps to mitigate the climate problem, one of which is to offset our carbon footprint.
Carbon offset broadly refers to a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that is used to compensate for emissions elsewhere. Carbon offset is considered a way to neutralise our environmental footprint. Organisations, companies, and individuals can counteract their GHG emissions by purchasing carbon offsets. Mostly voluntary, carbon offset aims to balance the amount of carbon emitted with some methods to absorb the emission. Simply, emissions contributed by air travel, for instance, may be absorbed by afforestation, use of renewable energy, and investment in carbon-reduction projects.
Carbon offset may be an important tool that may help us become "carbon neutral" or "climate neutral", but reducing emissions to zero through renewables or energy efficiency measures may not be feasible. Carbon offset has many advantages. The International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas (IEAGHG) R&D Programme (2007) stated that a good carbon offset project should not only promote environmental objectives, but also create supplemental benefits to local communities. It should spur economic development, improve the quality of life and increase recreational value.
However, carbon offset projects need to be carefully carried out, so they do not contribute to further environmental degradation or devolve into a scam, with companies using offsetting method to meet their corporate social responsibility obligations instead of actually changing or reducing their behaviours. These programmes should be strictly monitored and verified.
Additionally, community participation in carbon offset schemes is critical to achieving the goal of carbon offset programmes, while also helping to protect the environment.
Carbon offset alone cannot curb carbon emissions. The best way to act is by cutting down the emission from its sources. That said, the sudden increase in CO² emissions caused by travel once Covid-19 has eased could be mitigated by rolling out carbon offset programmes.
In order to persuade individuals to offset their carbon emissions, they must first understand why it is important to do so. Scientists have repeatedly stressed the importance of changing behaviour in reducing overall emissions, but it is challenging and often entangled in social and cultural complexities. Education and public promotion are needed to guide the community towards creating a sustainable environment.
Last but not least, environmental initiatives and programmes in educational institutions and public communication should be promoted as they play a major role in negating carbon emissions.
Dian Lutfiana and Citra Endah Nur Setyawati are Research Associates at Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The views expressed are purely those of the authors and should not in any circumstances be regarded as the an official position of the ERIA.