What types of projects generate carbon offsets

Carbon offsets can be generated by any kind of project that reduces or eliminates greenhouse gas emissions beyond a business-as-usual scenario. Common types of offset projects include reforestation and improved forest management, methane gas capture and destruction, fuel switching, clean cookstoves, and energy efficiency. There are many more types of projects that could generate carbon offsets however. To acquire a feel for what project types exist, visit the methodologies page for the standards mentioned above.

The most common types of biofuels are biodiesel, from oil-rich plants, and bioethanol from starch, which are known as first generation biofuels.

First-generation biofuels have the advantage of reducing the entire greenhouse gas emissions and zero carbon production sometimes because the carbon emitted during burning of biofuels is compensated by the carbon absorbed by the plants during growth.

Second-generation biofuels, on the other hand, are technologies that are still in development. This new technology focuses on producing second-generation biofuels by microbial fermentation of non-food crops.

Other sources include woody biomass from forestry, paper pulp, sawdust, bagasse, straw, stover, household food and garden waste. Know more about Decarbonization Consulting.

The carbon footprint and overall energy yield will soon be drastically improved in comparison with first generation biofuels as there's no need for cultivating or harvesting the crops.

Biofuel Production
Bioethanol is conventionally produced through the enzymatic conversion of starchy biomass into sugars or fermenting 6-carbon sugars. Ethanol can be produced from feedstocks like cassava, sorghum, potatoes, sugar beets, sugar cane, corn (maize) and cereal crops.

Researchers are now actually concentrating on using ligno-cellulosic materials for advanced bioethanol production. This includes pre-treating biomass to release hemicellulose and cellulose, hydrolysis to release fermentable 5- and 6-carbon sugars, separation of non-hydrolysed cellulose and solid residues accompanied by distillation.

Biodiesel is produced by trans-esterification of fats and vegetable oils via the addition of methanol and a catalyst, yielding glycerol as a by-product.

Other feedstocks include palm oil seeds, soy seeds, sunflower seeds and rapeseeds. Advanced methods include replacing methanol of fossil fuels with bioethanol, which yields fatty acid ethyl ester as opposed to fatty acid methyl ether.

Recent advancements in the production methods include hydrogenation of fats and oils for producing biodiesel that can blend with fossil diesel up to 50% without modifying engine efficiency.

What're co-benefits?

Co-benefits are positive outcomes from the carbon offset project, beyond  the actual greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Co-benefits may be social, economic, or environmental. Examples of co-benefits include jobs created, health advantages, pollution mitigation (other than carbon), supporting gender equality, renewable energy generation, biodiversity, and education. Co-benefits are usually the deciding element in carbon offset purchases. Many carbon offset developers list the project co-benefits with regards to how they contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.