Emissions offsetting to support climate change mitigation

The churches in Germanyhave established a carbon offsetting "climate collection" to support mitigation projects in developing countries and Eastern Europe. These projects are designed in such a way as to compensate emissions caused in Germany. It is an attractive approach, as it usually works out cheaper to reduce emissions in India or South Africa than in Germany – for example, by introducing solar lamps to replace kerosene lamps, or by shifting to more environmentally friendly cooking facilities.

Unlike other offsetting schemes, the churches focus on projects that contribute to both simultaneously: mitigation and poverty alleviation. The projects are implemented by partners in the South. A CO2calculator on the Internet helps"climate sinners" to calculate the amount to be paid into the climate collection fund (at 23 € per ton of CO2). The new scheme goes beyond carbon offsetting for aviation emissions to include other transport emissions, household emissions, etc.

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