Climate Mama News: Offsets and the Winter Olympics

Last week in Vancouver Climate Mama sat down with Kari Grist, VP of Marketing and Client Engagement for Offsetters, the official Offsetter of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and the first official supplier of carbon offsets to the Olympic Movement; below is a brief account of our meeting.

The first thing that struck me about Kari was how warm, welcoming and enthusiastic she was. It’s clear that she believes whole-heartedly in what she is doing, and that her company, Offsetters, is truly making a difference. Burning the candle at both ends seems to be a regular occurrence for the 25 employees of Offsetters, in particular during the weeks that the Olympics are “on” in Vancouver. In between a meeting with Finnish TV and getting her bob-wheeling team out the door (see our Video Peek of the Week for more on bob-wheeling), Kari helped me understand and see more clearly some of the incredible challenges and successes Offsetters has managed in its whirlwind, fast paced relationship with the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Offsetters was founded in 2005 by James Tansey with the goal of helping individuals and corporations understand, reduce and offset their greenhouse gas emissions. Offsetters’ relationship with the Olympic games, however, didn’t begin until March of 2009. It’s mission for the Olympics is to help offset the 268,000 tons of direct and indirect carbon emissions generated from the games, (roughly the equivalent of taking 49,000 cars off the road) not only during the games, but since Vancouver was awarded the Olympics, 7 years ago. This is at best, a huge challenge, given that while 118, 000 tons of these emissions are direct emissions (which includes things like venue construction and waste management, which were managed from the start), the 150,000 remaining tons, are indirect emissions, which include things “out of the Olympic Committees control”, like spectator, partner and sponsor travel, accommodations etc. Offsetters also set a fast pace to deliver these offsets, and is committed to do so by 2012.

A quick primer on offsets, from Offsetters: “When you engage in an activity that emits greenhouse gases, you can balance out that emission by purchasing a carbon offset – an emission reduction credit – that directly supports a project or activity that results in a given amount of greenhouses gas being avoided or reduced. Emission reductions that are real, additional (they wouldn’t have happened without the purchase of offsets), measurable, permanent and verified can generate offset credits. Carbon offsets are not the solution to climate change but, used properly, they are a tool for advancing the transition to a more sustainable environment. While emissions, from flying or driving for example, still occur, the offset credit you purchase will enable a reduction of greenhouse gases elsewhere. Offsetting is not a permit to pollute. Every individual and organization has a responsibility to lower their emissions whenever possible: walking or cycling instead of driving; teleconferencing instead of flying; etc. But there are still many activities for which we do not yet have low emissions alternatives. Offsetting is just one way individuals and companies can actively contribute to climate change mitigation, in addition to the reductions they can make in their own activities.”

Offsetters and the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) have together been able to get over 90% of the worldwide Olympic sponsors to sign up for offset programs, with 50% of all organizations involved with the games on board as well. A broad goal of the sustainability committee of VANOC is to divert 85% of games waste from landfills, part of each Olympic partners carbon management plan. This is a tall order and involves a lot of explaining and educating, along side a commitment to offset a corporation’s carbon footprint that can’t be reduced any other way. Offsetters had a lot of work to do in an incredibly short period of time. Our view is that they have been very successful in meeting their goals and bringing many local, national and international players on board. If corporations can be made to understand the overarching goal of a carbon neutral Olympics, the hope is that they will continue to consider their carbon management plans and sustainability programs as part of their overall corporate strategy in the months and years to come. The Offsetters website does a good job of explaining the games designated offset programs, so we won’t go into detail here, only to say that some of the programs are in British Columbia while some are international programs which will take place in developing countries around the world.

While sitting down with company executives to explain how they can develop a carbon management program is understandable and manageable, albeit at times difficult, a greater challenge can be attracting the attention of busy Olympic spectators and participants. How do you engage individuals at a massive event like the Olympics, particularly if they have no familiarity or knowledge about carbon offsets and why or how they should matter to them?

According to Kari, Offsetters has taken a three-prong approach in addressing individuals at and around the Games:

1. Offsetters has a user friendly website which explains the meaning behind a carbon footprint and then offers ideas and suggestions on how to reduce it. Offsetters also provides an easy to use calculator on their site to calculate a person’s emissions and then offers the opportunity to purchase offsets directly from the website.

2. If you have ever attended an Olympic games, you know that pin trading is a HUGE phenomenon.

Photo credit Offsetters.ca

While conscious of their carbon footprint and the need to reduce, not create more, Offsetters has introduced a limited edition, official “offset commemorative pin” for the Vancouver Olympics. The purchase price of $25.00 represents one ton of carbon offsets.

3. During the Games, Offsetters is “on the grounds” engaging spectators, visitors and local residence, through conversations, “bob wheeling,” one-on-one, and crowd interactions, hoping for a multiplier effect!

Keri told us that Offsetters has already had conversations with the London 2012 front people who are at the Vancouver Games collecting ideas and suggestions. Hopefully, the programs started and the progress achieved in Vancouver will prove to be a seed for future Olympics, allowing them to strive for Carbon Neutral status as well!