Beyond the Offset - A Qualitative Study on the Implications of the Usage of Carbon Offsetting on Voluntary Climate Action in Corporate Sustainability

Sammanfattning

The world economy has relied on fossil fuels since the dawn of the industrial revolution. Global consumption has since then increased steadily, intensifying the pace with which human activity prematurely releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, putting the carbon cycle out of balance resulting in excessive planetary warming. Consequently, addressing this imbalance caused by human action has been placed at the top of the agenda for many governments, corporations and other institutions - yet the emissions curve has not been bent. In addressing climate change, actors can use various methods and tools - some more straightforward and with more tangible results than others. One such method that has sparked controversy is carbon offsetting, where one purchases units of carbon that has been removed from the atmosphere. The criticisms for this method are many, despite that it is still widely used. Yet, there seems to be a lack of understanding with regards to the strategic implications that the use of carbon offsetting has. Without consensus and a unified approach on addressing climate change, international cooperation will be challenging. To answer whether the use of voluntary carbon offsets on a meso-level shape companies' mitigation efforts, a qualitative, cross-sectional study was conducted with 23 representatives from 20 companies either providing, using or abstaining carbon offsets. The main findings show that the use of voluntary carbon offsetting on all residual emissions in organisations did not negatively shape their mitigation efforts. However, under different circumstances, where usage is aimed to offset specific business areas' emissions, there was an observable pattern of down-prioritisation in mitigation efforts connected to those business areas. Furthermore, a significant emphasis on external pressure and scrutiny experienced by companies was identified, showing that public voices had an effect on shaping the future environmental sustainability pathways for organisations.