What Are Carbon Offsets (And What They Are Not)
A grounded definition of offsets and what they can/can’t do.
What Are Carbon Offsets (And What They Are Not) is designed to help learners build a clear, practical understanding of the topic—without drowning in jargon. We start by grounding the “why” and the “what”: the key definitions, the mental models you’ll keep using, and the context that makes the rest of climate learning click.
You’ll explore the big ideas that matter most: what offsets represent: verified reductions/removals, additionality, permanence, leakage, avoidance vs removal. Instead of treating these as abstract concepts, the course connects them to everyday decisions and real-world examples so you can recognize them in news, workplace conversations, and the choices you make at home.
We also go deeper into: when offsets help and limits. Along the way, you’ll practice translating complexity into simple explanations, so you can communicate confidently and spot common misconceptions before they trip you up.
By the end, you’ll be able to define what offsets do (and don’t) represent and evaluate them using additionality, permanence, and leakage basics, and you’ll have a few concrete next steps to keep momentum going.
Course Lessons
Carbon Offsets: The Basic Definition
This lesson, “Carbon Offsets: The Basic Definition,” is a focused module within the course “What Are Carbon Offsets (And What They Are Not).” You’ll start by grounding the topic with what an offset credit represents and reduction vs removal projects (overview), so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring why offsets compensate, not erase past emissions and when offsets are most appropriate (residual emissions), using plain-language explanations and a supportive visual. You’ll also work through a real-world example that helps you apply the idea to everyday decisions or common climate conversations. By the end, you should be able to summarize the lesson’s main point in your own words and answer a short quiz that checks true understanding—not memorization.
How Offset Credits Are Created and Retired
This lesson, “How Offset Credits Are Created and Retired,” is a focused module within the course “What Are Carbon Offsets (And What They Are Not).” You’ll start by grounding the topic with project design and baseline setting (conceptual) and monitoring, reporting, verification (mrv) basics, so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring issuance of credits and registries and retirement to prevent double counting, using plain-language explanations and a supportive visual. You’ll also work through a real-world example that helps you apply the idea to everyday decisions or common climate conversations. By the end, you should be able to summarize the lesson’s main point in your own words and answer a short quiz that checks true understanding—not memorization.
Additionality and Why It Matters
This lesson, “Additionality and Why It Matters,” is a focused module within the course “What Are Carbon Offsets (And What They Are Not).” You’ll start by grounding the topic with definition of additionality and examples of non-additional projects (conceptual), so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring financial and regulatory additionality at a high level and how standards test additionality, using plain-language explanations and a supportive visual. You’ll also work through a real-world example that helps you apply the idea to everyday decisions or common climate conversations. By the end, you should be able to summarize the lesson’s main point in your own words and answer a short quiz that checks true understanding—not memorization.
Permanence, Leakage, and Other Risks
This lesson, “Permanence, Leakage, and Other Risks,” is a focused module within the course “What Are Carbon Offsets (And What They Are Not).” You’ll start by grounding the topic with what permanence means (especially for nature projects) and leakage explained with simple examples, so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring reversal risk and buffer pools (conceptual) and how projects mitigate and monitor risk, using plain-language explanations and a supportive visual. You’ll also work through a real-world example that helps you apply the idea to everyday decisions or common climate conversations. By the end, you should be able to summarize the lesson’s main point in your own words and answer a short quiz that checks true understanding—not memorization.
Offsets vs Reduction: A Practical Framework
This lesson, “Offsets vs Reduction: A Practical Framework,” is a focused module within the course “What Are Carbon Offsets (And What They Are Not).” You’ll start by grounding the topic with avoid–reduce–replace–offset hierarchy and when to prioritize operational reductions, so the core idea is clear before moving on. Next, the lesson connects the concept to practical context by exploring how offsets fit into a credible plan and how to make honest claims about offsetting, using plain-language explanations and a supportive visual. You’ll also work through a real-world example that helps you apply the idea to everyday decisions or common climate conversations. By the end, you should be able to summarize the lesson’s main point in your own words and answer a short quiz that checks true understanding—not memorization.