Carbon neutrality is an achievable goal that an entity (this can be an individual, a family, a company, a city or a country) can strive for. A carbon neutral entity can proudly say that their net greenhouse gas emissions are zero, and that therefore they are making a real difference in the fight against climate change.

The core philosophy of carbon neutrality is that an entity captures or offsets as much greenhouse gas as it emits. There is an accepted three step process that should to be followed in order to achieve carbon neutrality:

1.     Measure – the consumption of energy and production of waste needs to be measured in order to calculate how much greenhouse gas is emitted by the entity. One way to achieve this is by using one of a number of web-based carbon footprint calculators that are available.

2.     Manage – the next logical step is to look at ways to reduce the emissions measured in step one. Management of emissions can often be achieved cost effectively by changes in user behavior and by the introduction of energy efficient products and appliances.

3.     Mitigate – remaining emissions can be offset by purchasing carbon credits that have been created by greenhouse gas reduction projects. Typical projects include waste management (methane reduction), energy efficiency, fuel switching and renewable energy.

The 10 VER and 20 VER parcels sizes offered by Energy Mad have been calculated using known activity emission factors. The breakdown of the carbon dioxide emissions of an individual New Zealander and a New Zealand family of six is shown below.

Please note that the carbon dioxide emissions of individuals and families will differ from the analysis above.

Also note that while carbon dioxide is not the most damaging of the six greenhouse gases (that award goes to sulphur hexafluoride SF₆), it is by far the highest volume greenhouse gas emitted and is therefore the greatest contributor to global warming.