Full definition
Highly contested: risks of additionality (the project would have happened anyway), non-permanence (a forest burning) and double counting. ADEME and SBTi require offsetting to be limited to residual emissions after maximum reduction. Label Bas-Carbone (France) for higher-quality domestic credits. ‘Carbon contribution’ is the preferable term. Do not confuse it with carbon contribution (the Carbone 4 / Net Zero Initiative concept separating internal actions from contribution to collective neutrality) or with insetting (reduction directly within the contributor’s value chain, as opposed to external projects).
Key figures
- less than 16 %share of studied credits corresponding to real reductions (Nature Communications meta-analysis, 2024)
- optionalstatus of offsetting (BVCM) in the draft SBTi Net-Zero Standard V2: never countable towards targets
Questions and answers
Can we still claim carbon neutrality through offsetting?
No longer for a product or brand without strict conditions: the EmpCo Directive (2024/825) bans neutrality claims based solely on offsetting from September 2026, and DGCCRF is already carrying out checks. A defensible position: reduce along a pathway, contribute beyond it and describe it in those terms.
What role does offsetting have in a serious climate strategy?
The third stage in a sequence: measure, reduce along a validated pathway, then contribute on residual emissions through quality projects (preferably durable removal rather than avoidance). ADEME and SBTi agree: contribution never replaces reduction.