Carbon Offset Gift Card: the eco-friendly gift by Selectra
In order to raise awareness of their CO2 emissions, Selectra has created the Carbon Offset Gift Card to help individuals to reduce their CO2 emissions. For each ton of carbon offset, Selectra buys carbon credits which can be used to finance projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provides you with all the advice you need to reduce your emissions. Ready to take the plunge?
A sustainable card gift
By offering a carbon offset gift card to your loved ones, you are not only helping to combat global warming, but also offsetting their carbon emissions.
Raising awareness of climate change
Anyone in the UK can purchase the Selectra Carbon Offset Gift Card to raise awareness of their carbon footprint and take concrete action against global warming by supporting an environmental project.
Once the gift card is purchased, the recipient will be told how much of their CO2 is being offset, and receive a carbon offset emissions guide on ways to reduce their personal carbon footprint and how their gift card will fund the reduction of greenhouse gas emission through The Ghandi Project. To ensure the money has been invested in the environmental project, a carbon offset certificate is issued at the beginning of the following year.
Although the Selectra Gift Card helps to fight climate change and finances an environmental project, it should not be used as a substitute for daily efforts to reduce CO2 emissions.
When should I give the Selectra Carbon Offset Gift Card?
The Selectra Carbon Offset Gift Card is not seasonal. Whether it's a gift idea for Christmas, a birthday, or Mother's or Father's Day, the card can be given all year round.
For example, giving the card to a loved one can be a way of offsetting their carbon footprint when they travel by plane. An eco-friendly gift that will make them aware of their carbon impact while encouraging them to take action against global warming.
Choosing a Carbon Offset Gift Card
The Carbon Offset Gift Card comes in three packages, allowing you to offset all or part of your greenhouse gas emissions:
- The "My first steps" formula, which offsets either the average emissions of a person in the UK linked to transport.
- The "Towards a rational consumption" formula, which offsets the average emissions of a person in the UK linked to consumption habits and food.
- The "All-inclusive" formula, which offsets all the CO2 emissions of the average person in the UK.
| Formula | Offset emissions | Source of emissions |
|---|---|---|
| My first steps (19.90 £) | 1.6 tons of CO2eq | Transport |
| Towards a rational consumption (39.90 £) | 4.57 tons of CO2eq | Food and consumption habits (electronic devices, clothing, pharmaceutical products, etc.) |
| All-inclusive (77.90 £) | 7.01 tons of CO2eq | All CO2 emissions (transport, consumption habits, food, housing energy and indirect emissions) |
Carbon offsetting: how does it work?
Carbon offsetting consists of financing environmental projects that reduce the amount of greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere. It is often used as a means of achieving carbon neutrality. It is often used as a means of achieving carbon neutrality. When we say we’re “offsetting our carbon emissions”, it means that we are financing environmental projects, such as the Gandhi Project, to offset part or all of the CO2 we emit into the atmosphere.
What is carbon offsetting?
The average British person emits 7.01 tons of CO2eq per year, of which:
- 22.8% from transport;
- 65.2% from food and consumer habits;
- 12% from energy related to housing and indirect emissions (administrative services, water treatment, banks, insurance, etc.).
In recent years, global warming has become more intense. The main cause is the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is why reducing greenhouse gas emissions is so important for our environment.
How many tons of CO2 do your friends and family emit each year?Raise the awareness of your loved ones by offsetting their greenhouse gas emissions with the Carbon Offset Gift Card!
Reducing your carbon footprint is a 3 step process:
- Become aware of your carbon impact;
- Reduce your greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible;
- Offset all or part of the emissions that could not be reduced.
Carbon offsetting is mandatory for some companies and the signatory states of the Kyoto Protocol. For private individuals, it is called voluntary carbon offsetting, i.e. the voluntary financing of projects that are neutral in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, via the purchase of carbon credits. The final goal of a zero carbon footprint is for the individual's contribution to the greenhouse gas reduction project must be equal to the remaining emissions.
Generally, the money is invested in projects in developing countries to help them improve their energy efficiency or develop renewable energy.
Selectra supports the Gandhi project
With the help of EcoAct, a European consultancy firm specialising in climate transition, Selectra has chosen the Gandhi Project for its strong ecological impact. It consists of promoting the development of green energy in in Porbandar, India (Gandhi's birthplace).
Within the framework of this project, 21 wind turbines have been built and produce more than 36 GWh of green electricity each year, allowing the offsetting of nearly 33,000 tons of CO2 to help with the country's energy transition.
In fact, 56% of India's electricity production is based on coal. This energy is inexpensive but very polluting and harmful. India's energy mix is far more polluting than that of the UK. For example, the production of 1 kWh of electricity in India emits 920 g of CO2 eq compared to 233 g in the UK. Thus, each euro invested in the project has a great impact on the environment and contributes to reducing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
For each ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) offset, Selectra finances the development of green energy via the Gandhi Project. This project is certified by the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) set out by the non-profit organisation Verra, one of the reference standards for carbon compensation. This standard not only accounts for the number of tons of CO2 emissions reduced, but also monitors and verifies the project on site.
Selectra: more than just an energy comparison service
Founded in 2007 by Aurian de Maupeou and Xavier Pinon, Selectra has become the leader in the comparison of energy suppliers, particularly for green energy, in France and Spain. The company currently has more than 1,300 employees in 10 countries, and in 2020 achieved a turnover of €63 million.
In addition to informing consumers and helping them save even more on their energy bills, Selectra is aiming even higher and, since 2019, has been offering individuals the opportunity to voluntarily offset their CO2 emissions with the Carbon Offset Gift Card.
Contact us
Do you still have questions about the Carbon Offset Gift Card? Do not hesitate to contact us at the following email address: hello@selectra.co.uk. The Selectra team will answer you as soon as possible.