Purchasing offsets will allow your business to compensate for any residual hard to abate emissions and reach net zero.
There are several global certified offset schemes. Projects must adhere to a rigorous set of criteria to be certified by these standards. Verra issues Verified Carbon Standard / Verified Carbon Unit (VCS/VCU), Gold Standard issues Voluntary Emissions Reduction (VER) and Certified Emissions Reduction (CER). If you are looking for Australian project, the Clean Energy Regulator issues Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). Australian credit units are generally viewed as the top standard.
Businesses should look for offsets with co-benefits. Particularly where they align to business or employee values. An example of a co-benefit is where the offset project has additional benefits such as creating employment for local people.
Lastly, there are some common criticisms of offsets to be aware of, such as the permanence of projects or if they offer additionality. It’s best to do your research and where risk is identified employ expert support to purchase offsets.