Carbon Offset: Selectra's Environmental Projects

Since 2019, Selectra has been offering its customers the opportunity to offset all or part of their carbon emissions (CO2) through various GHG reduction or sequestration projects. Here is all the information on Selectra's projects to understand the carbon offset mechanisms.

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With Selectra, you can help to finance environmental projects:  By calculating your Personal Carbon Footprint;
 By raising awareness among your friends and family with Carbon Offset Gift Cards.

What is carbon offsetting?

Carbon offsetting means financing an environmental project that will reduce or absorb greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. However, offsetting carbon emissions is not enough to fight global warming.

To reduce your impact on the environment, you must first:

1. Calculate your carbon footprint;
2. Reduce your greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible;
3. Offset unavoidable emissions by financing carbon offset projects.

Carbon offsetting is only relevant once reduction efforts have been put in place. This is why Selectra offers its personalised guide with all the practical advice you will need to reduce your carbon footprint. Calculate your carbon footprint!

The voluntary carbon offset market

Voluntary carbon offsetting is when companies or individuals, who are not under any obligation to do so, offset their carbon emissions by financing an environmental project such as The Gandhi Project. Unlike mandatory carbon offsetting, these companies and individuals are encouraged to reduce their CO2 emissions but are not required to do so.

Mandatory carbon offsettingSince the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, companies have been pushed to reduce their CO2 emissions through carbon offsetting.

Voluntary carbon offsetting works in four stages:

1. Launch of the project (a geothermal power plant, for example) by the project owner;
2. Audit of the project by a certifying organisation (Verra for the Verified Carbon Standard, or Gold Standard, or CDM for Clean Development Mechanism) to ensure that GHG emissions are avoided and to quantify the number of carbon credits to which the project is entitled for its positive impact;
3. Sale of carbon credits to specialist companies such as EcoAct or ACT Commodities, Selectra's offset partners;
4. Selectra buys carbon credits from its offset partners and requests the cancellation of as many credits as the cumulative volume offset by its customers. In exchange, Selectra receives an offset certificate from its offset partner, which is sent to each customer by email.

What is a carbon credit?A carbon credit is the equivalent to 1 tonne of CO2, which otherwise would have been released into the atmosphere without carbon offsetting

The purpose of carbon offsetting standards is to ensure the transparency and credibility of a greenhouse gas reduction project: measurability of avoided emissions and uniqueness of the carbon credits issued, regular monitoring of the project and verification, additionality and permanence of the project, etc.

What are the project validation criteria?

• Real: it has already been completed, rather than based on a pledge to build;
• Measurable: a recognised methodology must be followed;
• Permanent: emissions are permanently reduced;
• Additional: the project would not have happened without the carbon credits;
• Independently verified: a third party with no conflict of interest regularly audits the project;
• Unique: the carbon credits must be sold only once;
• A strong environmental and social impact: the project must include co-benefits.

Support an environmental project with Selectra!

Selectra, already a leader in the comparison of energy offers with a particular focus on green energy, has decided to go even further by offering consumers the opportunity to voluntarily offset their carbon emissions by helping to finance environmental projects.

For each consumer that wishes to offset their carbon emissions, Selectra buys carbon credits corresponding to the volume of CO2 to be offset. The carbon credits are specific to the Gandhi project and thus aim to promote the development of green energy in India.

What is Selectra's Gandhi Project?

Selectra's Gandhi Project is an environmental project which promotes the development of green energy in India through the construction of a wind farm. The project was chosen in collaboration with EcoAct, a European consultancy firm specialising in carbon offsetting, and is certified under the Verified Carbon Standard, a guarantee of the quality and seriousness of the project.

India is a developing country with a very high energy demand. Unfortunately, more than half of the energy produced comes from coal-fired power stations and coal, although very cheap, is an extremely polluting and harmful fuel. Currently, India is the third most polluting country in the world.

It is therefore essential to support India in its energy transition through the development, and use, of more sustainable resources. This is why Selectra has decided to participate in a wind farm project. Because of its location and its mission to replace the use of extremely polluting energy, each euro invested in the project has a huge environmental impact on the country and the planet.

The Gandhi Project began in the town of Porbandar, Gandhi's birthplace, and today extends across the entire country:

• 21 wind turbines;
• 36 GWh of green electricity produced per year;
• 33,000 tonnes of CO2 offset;
• A more stable electricity network;
• The creation and support of 80 schools through grants;
• 800 more food aid beneficiaries;
• A 50% increase in school enrollment in Tidi, Udaipur;
• The reduction of the use of coal by 75,000 tonnes.

The Gandhi project would therefore allow 2,000 households to offset their carbon emissions.

Why offset your CO2 emissions?

Global warming is due to the ever-increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which causes the average temperature on the Earth's surface to rise. At present, it is showing no signs of slowing down and the impact of the Earth warming of more than 2°C would be catastrophic for the environment.

This is why it is necessary to reduce CO2 emissions and to compensate for those that are unavoidable. Achieving carbon neutrality means financing environmental projects that absorb some or all of the carbon emissions produced by our activities.

I stand up for real climate action, I offset my CO2 emissions!Global warming is everyone's business! To offset your CO2 emissions and participate in the energy transition. Schedule a call with us!
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