Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere. It's a problem because elevated CO2 levels, primarily from human activities like burning fossil fuels, contribute to global warming and climate change, leading to more extreme weather, rising sea levels, ecosystem disruption, and economic challenges. 

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions.  

How do we create Carbon: transport, energy use, waste generation and supply chains.  

Forests and vegetation naturally absorb CO2 from the air through photosynthesis, storing it in plants, trees, soil, and other organic materials. This process helps to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 

How do they act as Carbon sinks? 

• Carbon Sequestration  

• Soil Carbon Storage 

• Long-Term Storage 

A carbon credit is a tradable permit that represents the right to emit one metric ton of carbon dioxide or an equivalent greenhouse gas. They are used as a mechanism to encourage and incentivize the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, typically in the context of efforts to combat climate change. Companies or individuals can purchase carbon credits to offset their emissions by supporting projects that reduce or capture an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases, such as reforestation, renewable energy, or energy efficiency initiatives. 

A Verified Carbon Unit (VCU) is a tradable certificate that represents a specific amount of carbon dioxide emissions reductions or removals that have been rigorously verified and certified by recognized carbon standards. VCUs are typically used in carbon markets to ensure the credibility and authenticity of emissions reduction projects, such as renewable energy or reforestation initiatives. 

The carbon market plays a crucial role in helping achieve carbon neutrality and net-zero emissions goals by providing a mechanism to offset greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and encourage the reduction of emissions across various sectors.  

• Emissions Reduction and Offsetting 

• Funding Sustainable Projects 

• Market Incentives for Emission Reductions 

• Promotion of Innovation and Technologies 

• Market Signal for Investment 

Netzero" and "carbon neutrality" are terms used to describe ambitious goals related to reducing and balancing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but they have slightly different implications: 

• Net zero refers to the state where an entity (an individual, company, country, etc.) balances the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere with an equivalent number of emissions removed or offset. The key concept here is achieving a balance between emissions and removals or offsets, resulting in a net sum of zero   

• Carbon Neutrality, Carbon neutrality" is a broader concept that encompasses the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to the greatest extent possible and then balancing the remaining emissions through offsets or other measures. 

• Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) 

• Gold Standard 

• Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) 

• Climate Action Reserve (CAR) 

• American Carbon Registry (ACR) 

• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) 

• Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) 

• Market Platforms and Exchanges 

• VERRA 

CCS is a technology that captures carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes and power plants and stores them underground to prevent their release into the atmosphere. It is a method to mitigate the impact of carbon emissions. 

Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing carbon, particularly in forests, soils, and other natural systems. It helps reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and combat climate change. 

Nature-based solutions are actions to protect, sustainability manage, and resort natural and modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously benefiting people and nature.  

NBS can sequester carbon, mitigate floods, and reduce the urban heat island effect, thus helping to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. 

Governments can support NBS through policies, incentives, and regulations that encourage the preservation and restoration of natural ecosystems. 

Yes, by protecting and enhancing ecosystems, NBS can offer sustained climate resilience benefits, such as flood protection and carbon sequestration. 

wetlands and various ecosystems play a critical role in sequestering carbon, helping mitigate climate change by storing carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases. 

Wetlands; Wetlands efficiently sequester carbon by accumulating organic matter in peat, which slows down over time when undisturbed and remains waterlogged. 

Forests:Forests, especially old-growth ones, act as significant carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and storing it in their biomass. 

Grasslands and savannas sequester carbon through plant growth, organic matter accumulation, photosynthesis, and root systems, contributing to soil carbon storage. 

Mangroves and coastal ecosystems are crucial carbon sinks, storing significant amounts of carbon in both above-ground biomass and below-ground sediments, thereby reducing coastal emissions. 

The Paris Agreement is an international treaty that aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. It calls for countries to reduce their carbon emissions and increase climate resilience. 

Nature-based solutions provide a wide range of benefits, including biodiversity conservation, improved water quality, flood control, and enhanced ecosystem resilience to climate change.