While the Minister of Development Aid has to make drastic cuts, her colleague from the Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth can contribute to the environment and the poorest by encouraging CO2 reduction, says Linda Lap.

The summer holidays have started and many Dutch people are getting on a plane. That is not good for the climate, we all know that. We can limit the damage somewhat by offsetting our CO2. For a few tens of euros extra, trees are planted or cleaner cooking appliances are distributed to people in developing countries.

What we probably don’t know: companies are increasingly offsetting their CO2 emissions. Large multinationals such as Microsoft and Google spend millions on CO2 compensation. And this is expected to increase significantly. As of this year, large companies in the EU are required to report on their impact on people and the environment. For example, companies must report how much CO2 they emit, reduce and compensate. If they do not do enough, we can hold them accountable. That will motivate them to do more. In short, the voluntary CO2 market is growing. At the moment, there is 2 billion dollars in circulation worldwide and the market is still in its infancy. This money benefits sustainable projects in developing countries.

And that is more than welcome at a time when much less money is going to the poorest. In the Netherlands, the new Minister for Development Aid has to make major cutbacks. There is also criticism. Journalists who look at compensation projects in Africa or Asia sometimes come back with disappointing stories. Some projects deliver less CO2 reduction than expected. Trees have perished in a forest fire or fewer cooking stoves are used than distributed. Fortunately, research also shows that there are reliable projects. Berkeley University in the US recently published a list of successful African ‘cleaner cooking projects’.

Where people switch from wood fires to cleaner cooking stoves, there are fewer lung diseases. Women need to collect less firewood, cook faster and have more time for their family or to work. Of course, these cooking stoves emit a lot less CO2. Another point of criticism of CO2 compensation is that people and companies use it as an excuse to continue emitting. However, practice shows something different. Holidaymakers who compensate their flight also try to live more sustainably elsewhere. And for many companies, it is precisely entrepreneurs who compensate their CO2 emissions who are fully engaged in making their lives more sustainable.

If we want to stop climate change, we need to do everything we can. On reducing and on compensating. While the new coalition is making significant cuts in development cooperation, the new Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth can encourage more companies to compensate for their unavoidable CO2 emissions. In this way, she can contribute to achieving the climate goals and give a new impetus to sustainable development cooperation.

Want to take action yourself? Then calculate the CO2 emissions of your holiday and choose a good compensation project.

Author:
Linda Lap works in the voluntary CO2 market. She has experience with sustainable compensation projects in developing countries that focus on cleaner cooking solutions and planting trees.

Publication date:
This article was published in the Dutch newspaper AD, August 3, 2024