Question

question 22
4 pts
which of the following offsets are most likely to be additional?
○ an ngo is planning to build solar panels in a remote area of siberia and needs to sell offsets to finance the project.
○ an ngo has already distributed gas stoves to households in a poor region of africa (to replace wood burning stoves), and is now selling its related offsets.
○ a city has implemented a methane capturing project in its landfill (which is up and running), and is now selling offsets to recoup the investment.
○ an ngo has already implemented a methane capturing device in a large farm, and is only now selling its related offsets.

Explanation:

To determine which offsets are additional, we use the concept of "additionality" in carbon offsets: a project's emissions reductions are additional if they would not have occurred without the financial incentive from selling offsets (i.e., the project is not already happening or required by law/standard practice).

• Option 1: The NGO is planning to build solar panels and needs to sell offsets to finance the project. This project is not yet implemented and relies on offset sales for funding, so the reductions (from solar replacing fossil fuels) are likely additional—they wouldn’t happen without the offset revenue.
• Options 2–4: These involve projects that are already completed (distributed stoves, landfill methane project running, farm methane device implemented). Since the projects are already done, their emissions reductions would have occurred regardless of offset sales (no reliance on offsets for implementation), so they lack additionality.

Answer:

A. An NGO is planning to build solar panels in a remote area of Siberia and needs to sell offsets to finance the project.