“Carbon offsetting” is a way of trying to compensate for the CO2 that we cannot help emitting in our daily lives by doing things like investing in activities that help reduce emissions, in order to reduce as much as possible the CO2 that is thought to cause global warming. It has been actively taken up in places like England, and also the rest of Europe, America, and Australia. Since around 2008, carbon offsetting has also been spreading steadily in Japan, under the guidance of the Ministry of the Environment.
In a Japanese household, the amount of CO2 emitted by
one person over the course of one year: 4,686 pounds
Source／温室効果ガスインベントリ「日本の温室効果ガス排出量データ（1990～2011年度）」:Greenhouse gas inventory “Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions data(1990-2011)”
【Southern Alps City】
In addition to working hard to reduce the CO2 emissions involved in the cultivation of greenhouse tomatoes, this city also sells “Carbon Offset Tomatoes,” which give 11 pounds of carbon credits per tomato.
【Yokohama City】
During the APEC Conference held in Yokohama in 2010, CO2 emissions associated with electricity, gas, heating, and water usage at the conference site and at hotels in the vicinity of the conference were offset using Certified Emissions Reductions (CER) as stipulated by the Kyoto Protocol.
