6 Green Groups Helping To Offset Carbon Emissions

Climate change poses an existential threat to earthly civilization. Many solutions would require a dramatic overhaul of the existing structures of our society, so many organizations focus on the regulation of carbon emissions, reforestation of devastated natural areas, and encouragement of biodiversity as an opportunity to address the needs of the earth. This list, in no particular order, shares some groups fighting for a greener planet.

Kicking off our list at #1 is InfiniteEARTH. This organization's mission is to move countries from an unsustainable extractive economy to a sustainable replacement one by changing the way the world views the consumption and pricing of goods and services.

It started when a small group of collaborators from diverse industry backgrounds such as finance, forestry, consulting, and international trade took up the challenge of managing "avoided deforestation" as an offset mechanism for emissions. This resulted in the creation of the largest tropical wetlands conservation bank in Indonesia, the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve.

Next up, at #2, we have Carbon Offsets To Alleviate Poverty. Its mission is to empower individuals and organizations to address both climate change and global poverty. COTAP aims to counteract carbon emissions through certified forestry projects in underdeveloped regions. These projects create earnings for rural farming communities where income levels are less than $2 per day.

The projects typically ask farmers to plant native trees and fruiting plants. COTAP has worked with countries such as Uganda, Nicaragua, and Mozambique, where the reforestation efforts support wild animals like buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, hippos, and elephants found in and around the project’s neighboring Gorongosa and Marromeu national parks.

Coming in at #3, we present the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. A national nonprofit, it works to empower businesses to be in balance with the environment through education, community engagement programs, and custom solutions that help address the unavoidable energy, carbon, and water impacts.

BEF's Solar 4R Schools program is a K-12 renewable energy STEM education experience. Through teacher training, science kits, activities, and real-time access to energy generation data from hundreds of solar systems nationwide, it hopes to empower the next generation of sustainability leaders.

The #4 entry is Reforest the Tropics. A nonprofit, its mission is to fight climate change, increase biodiversity, and improve the lives of local populations through sustainable reforestation projects. These mixed-species forests can create a habitat for many forms of wildlife, such as frogs, sloths, snakes, and anteaters.

Reforest the Tropics has designed an equitable and sustainable model for the fair treatment of participating tropical farmers, which includes payments to establish the forest and for the carbon dioxide that is captured. RTT's team can guide the landowner throughout the process and teach the farmer about general land management.

Up next, at #5, is Verra. This nonprofit, based in Washington, D.C., works to tackle some intractable environmental and social challenges by developing and managing standards that help the private sector, countries, and civil society achieve ambitious sustainable development and climate action goals.

The organization was founded in 2005 by environmental and business leaders who saw the need for greater quality assurance in voluntary carbon markets. Its VCS Program allows certified projects to turn their greenhouse gas emission reductions and removals into tradable carbon credits.

Rounding out our list, at #6, is Seedballs Kenya. A joint collaboration between Chardust and Cookswell Jikos, the company produces balls of indigenous tree seeds in a protective capsule of charcoal dust and nutritious binders, meant to offer a low cost and efficient reintroduction of trees and grass species into degraded areas in Africa.

All of the seeds in the company's balls are suitable for growth in East Africa. As its name suggests, the company itself is based in Kenya, and has been featured in the media many times, in outlets such as Al Jazeera, In the Know, the Washington Post, and CNN.