The Role of Carbon Offsets in Our Sustainability Journey

Did you know your household energy use makes up 25 percent of your carbon footprint. Here's the good news: Switching to a greener energy source is easy and quick.

Carbon offsets – which are purchased on your behalf by an energy supplier when you make the switch to carbon-neutral natural gas – offer an easy way to take a personal step toward a cleaner environment. When you make this switch, the emissions produced by fueling your home with natural gas are balanced by verified carbon offset projects.

Natural gas is, of course, a fossil fuel – even when it's described as carbon-neutral. But it still plays a key role in our path toward a sustainable energy future. This is because we consume about 80 percent of our energy from fossil fuel sources in the U.S., and it'll take no small amount of time, infrastructure investment, and innovation before we can bridge that gap with purely renewable sources. As natural gas emits half the carbon emissions of coal, it's often the lowest-carbon energy available to Americans.

Below, we walk thorugh how carbon offsets work, as well as the role of natural gas in our sustainable energy future.

How carbon offsets work

Carbon offsets are a tool used to offset carbon emissions – helping individuals and businesses reduce their carbon impact.

Unlike electricity, natural gas can't be generated by a renewable source. And natural gas by itself can't be “green.” But by creating a carbon offset, the effects of burning natural gas can be reduced.

When you enroll in carbon neutral natural gas, your energy supplier takes a few steps on your behalf. These include:

1. Calculating your carbon impact by measuring your usage and the resulting emissions
2. Investing in innovation and carbon-offset projects – like reforestation and new renewable energy systems – that remove carbon from the atmosphere
3. Maintaining your offsets behind the scenes to ensure the projects are current and valid

Want to explore more? What is Carbon-Neutral Natural Gas? to learn how carbon neutral natural gas works.

The role of natural gas in sustainable energy

Meeting our growing energy demand is no small task. And as the energy industry continues to focus on the innovation necessary to make renewable energy sources – like wind and solar – available to all Americans, natural gas continues to be a reliable, lower-carbon energy source for Americans.

And while natural gas is a necessary part of your energy mix, not all gas is created equal. Suppliers like IGS Energy can offset every ounce of your carbon emissions by investing in trees, tech, green innovations and more.