Frequently Asked Questions
What is a carbon offset?
Carbon offsets provide a way for individuals, businesses, and governments to address concerns about the impact of their greenhouse gas emissions on the earth’s climate by paying others to undertake activities that reduce, avoid, or sequester greenhouse gases.
A carbon offset can be defined as a measurable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from an activity or project in one location that is used to compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere. For example, a U.S. manufacturer might offset its emissions by funding an external project that captures methane, a greenhouse gas emitted from agricultural sources and landfills. The emissions reduced, avoided, or sequestered by such projects are collectively termed carbon offsets, though they may involve different greenhouse gases.
Carbon offsets are a potentially attractive option for those interested in addressing concerns about climate change because they can offer a potentially low-cost and convenient means of reducing, avoiding, or sequestering greenhouse gas emissions relative to other options, such as altering manufacturing processes or using less fossil fuel.
A carbon offset can be defined as a measurable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from an activity or project in one location that is used to compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere. For example, a U.S. manufacturer might offset its emissions by funding an external project that captures methane, a greenhouse gas emitted from agricultural sources and landfills. The emissions reduced, avoided, or sequestered by such projects are collectively termed carbon offsets, though they may involve different greenhouse gases.
Carbon offsets are a potentially attractive option for those interested in addressing concerns about climate change because they can offer a potentially low-cost and convenient means of reducing, avoiding, or sequestering greenhouse gas emissions relative to other options, such as altering manufacturing processes or using less fossil fuel.
What's going on behind the scenes in your calculation engine?
We did extensive research to determine the most accurate way to estimate each of the elements that make up a person's lifestyle. The research is not original, we attempted to determine the consensus of the scientific community for each. Thanks to the work of the IPCC, the CDM/JI framework, and regulated markets, there are extensively documented standards to work from.
We then turned around and took an entirely different approach to how one gets started calculating their footprint. We decided that a carbon footprint is best considered a function of your lifestyle, so we ask a general question about who you are.
From that first question, we make assumptions about your lifestyle to arrive at a rough estimate, which is often quite close to accurate. Then you have the ability to review each of these assumptions and adjust to increase the accuracy of the estimate. Much like a life insurance policy can be written fairly accurately knowing just age, occupation, gender, and smoking, just a few questions can yield a very good approximation. While it's impossible to say with certainty, we believe that of the roughly 100 variables and millions of unique profile combinations, we achieve close to 90% accuracy with a single well-matched profile selection, and over 95% accuracy with the first five most relevant profile refinements.
But for those who want to be absolutely as accurate as possible, all the choices are there to adjust. It's a new approach, the standard has been a sequential series of questions that force you to just stop if you don't know a specific answer.
We take a "drill-down" approach. It's vastly more efficient, and based on resampling we get those first estimates even more accurate as we go. For cross-checking there are many, many tools extant from academic climate scientists and others. We've checked hundreds of profiles against other calculation engines and solicited third party feedback from experts. We believe our engine is as accurate as any, and we are certain that it's the easiest to use.
We then turned around and took an entirely different approach to how one gets started calculating their footprint. We decided that a carbon footprint is best considered a function of your lifestyle, so we ask a general question about who you are.
From that first question, we make assumptions about your lifestyle to arrive at a rough estimate, which is often quite close to accurate. Then you have the ability to review each of these assumptions and adjust to increase the accuracy of the estimate. Much like a life insurance policy can be written fairly accurately knowing just age, occupation, gender, and smoking, just a few questions can yield a very good approximation. While it's impossible to say with certainty, we believe that of the roughly 100 variables and millions of unique profile combinations, we achieve close to 90% accuracy with a single well-matched profile selection, and over 95% accuracy with the first five most relevant profile refinements.
But for those who want to be absolutely as accurate as possible, all the choices are there to adjust. It's a new approach, the standard has been a sequential series of questions that force you to just stop if you don't know a specific answer.
We take a "drill-down" approach. It's vastly more efficient, and based on resampling we get those first estimates even more accurate as we go. For cross-checking there are many, many tools extant from academic climate scientists and others. We've checked hundreds of profiles against other calculation engines and solicited third party feedback from experts. We believe our engine is as accurate as any, and we are certain that it's the easiest to use.
Why should I offset my carbon?
Global climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, and threatens our very way of life. Genuine greenhouse gas offsetting is an ethical way to prevent global warming and climate change and help the environment. If you're not part of the solution, you're contributing to the problem. Living carbon neutral makes you part of the solution.
Isn’t the idea of “offsetting” carbon emissions flawed to begin with? Isn’t the only real solution to reduce emissions, to change lifestyles?
No, and yes. It’s certainly true that the only way for us to effectively stop global warming is to address lifestyle choices. However, it is next to impossible to live completely carbon neutral in a modern society. Therefore, we must offset those emissions we cannot reduce. By channeling funds to the people and firms best able to make these changes, we’re achieving maximum returns on your contribution.
We think everyone should do their part to reduce their carbon footprint. There are a multitude of simple steps we all can take, and there is no shortage of information out there with advice on how you can change your daily habits. In fact our members tell us that the real-time speed of our calculation engine is one of the best ways to see how their lifestyle choices affect their carbon footprint.
But for those living upscale lifestyles, living carbon neutral will always require the purchase of offsets. Our goal is to do the best job possible to ensure that your contribution is working as hard as possible.
We think everyone should do their part to reduce their carbon footprint. There are a multitude of simple steps we all can take, and there is no shortage of information out there with advice on how you can change your daily habits. In fact our members tell us that the real-time speed of our calculation engine is one of the best ways to see how their lifestyle choices affect their carbon footprint.
But for those living upscale lifestyles, living carbon neutral will always require the purchase of offsets. Our goal is to do the best job possible to ensure that your contribution is working as hard as possible.
How do Carbon Offsets work?
Carbon offsets typically work in one of two ways:
Source Reduction: Preventing greenhouse gases from ever being emitted, by increasing efficiency, reducing energy use, or laying the foundation for the conversion to renewable energy.
Sequestration: Finding ways to take existing green house gases and covert them into a form of carbon that’s no longer in the atmosphere. These offsets range from the simple planting of trees to elaborate technologies that dissolve CO2 in the deep ocean.
Click here for more information on the various types of offsets, and click here to see some of the recent additions to our offset portfolio.
Source Reduction: Preventing greenhouse gases from ever being emitted, by increasing efficiency, reducing energy use, or laying the foundation for the conversion to renewable energy.
Sequestration: Finding ways to take existing green house gases and covert them into a form of carbon that’s no longer in the atmosphere. These offsets range from the simple planting of trees to elaborate technologies that dissolve CO2 in the deep ocean.
Click here for more information on the various types of offsets, and click here to see some of the recent additions to our offset portfolio.
What does The Belgrave Trust do?
The Belgrave Trust provides the most efficient and effective way for our members to live carbon neutral. Our members are share our belief that the power of the burgeoning carbon offset marketplace is the best way to direct resources in real time to the places they will be most effective in addressing global climate change.
In short, for individuals who would like to purchase and retire carbon offsets to counterbalance their personal emissions, we provide a service that figures out what those emissions are, acquires high quality offsets to comprise an actively managed offset portfolio, and retires a proportionate amount of that portfolio on their behalf each month.
In short, for individuals who would like to purchase and retire carbon offsets to counterbalance their personal emissions, we provide a service that figures out what those emissions are, acquires high quality offsets to comprise an actively managed offset portfolio, and retires a proportionate amount of that portfolio on their behalf each month.
Is The Belgrave Trust more expensive than other offset services?
We offer the highest quality verified and certified offsets at a competitive market-based price. An actively managed portfolio approach is actually one of the most efficient ways to allocate resources, and the cost of living carbon neutral for our members is equivalent to -- or often lower than -- other offset services.
How is Belgrave different than the other carbon offsetting companies?
Our members share our core values. We respect your time with a sophisticated profiling model that yields an accurate estimate of your carbon footprint with remarkable speed, and that is capable of handling members with a larger footprint or more upscale lifestyle. We believe that innovation and solutions are best pursued through a diverse market-driven portfolio that sends resources around the world to where they are most needed, rather than to small, unpredictable, and ultimately non-scalable projects created solely for resale to private individuals.
Are you a non-profit?
The Belgrave Trust is not a designated charity or non-profit. We respect and support all organizations that are working to tackle global climate change. However, we believe that harnessing the power of the marketplace is the best way to address the problem, and our members share that alignment of values.
More generally, there's substantial evidence that businesses are more efficient than non-profits. To put it simply, charity is designed to transfer value, and business is designed to create value. Our goal is to create new technology and new initiatives to solve climate change. It's been shown in many instances companies that work this way can often be more nimble, more innovative, and attract better talent to solve a problem.
Here are two of our favorite examples of this in the real world: RealBenefits, who found they were better able to effect change when they switched models, and RecycleBank, a for profit company that has saved hundreds of millions of gallons of fossil fuels from being used.
More generally, there's substantial evidence that businesses are more efficient than non-profits. To put it simply, charity is designed to transfer value, and business is designed to create value. Our goal is to create new technology and new initiatives to solve climate change. It's been shown in many instances companies that work this way can often be more nimble, more innovative, and attract better talent to solve a problem.
Here are two of our favorite examples of this in the real world: RealBenefits, who found they were better able to effect change when they switched models, and RecycleBank, a for profit company that has saved hundreds of millions of gallons of fossil fuels from being used.
If I sign up, where does my contribution go?
We invest in a diverse portfolio of carbon offsets that are retired on your behalf. These offsets are carefully chosen to best channel your contribution into those offsets that are reducing greenhouse gas emissions right now. The large majority of our portfolio consists of "blue-chip" rigorously verified offsets with reputable certification. In addition, we dedicate a small percentage of the portfolio to projects that may not be exchange traded, that we believe represent the promise of the next generation of innovation. Click here to learn more about our portfolio.
Why do you focus on profiles, and a subscription model?
Living carbon neutral isn't a simple transactional decision, it's a decision to offset your lifestyle and completely erase your carbon footprint. There are others who are happy to sell individual certificates for specialized reasons, but our members want to live carbon neutral, and many of them want to help their friends live carbon neutral as well. By using profiles, we can estimate your carbon footprint regardless of how much or how little information you have handy. Our monthly model is the best way to address your entire lifestyle, not just some arbitrary event.
Do you create your own carbon offsets from scratch? Why not?
We believe that a portfolio model is the best way to ensure that our members’ dollars are directed into the most cutting edge and efficient methods of reducing greenhouse gasses. Though many individuals are just beginning to address climate change in an organized way, in reality there is already a highly developed marketplace for carbon offsets that’s subject to rigorous verification processes and standards. Every day millions of tons of carbon offsets are exchanged, and we’re constantly refining and re-examining our resources to make sure your contribution is having the maximum impact. Click here to learn more about our portfolio.