Should I Offset My Travels' Carbon Emissions?

Carbon Emissions is a hot topic... literally. And I often wonder how much thought my digital nomad community gives it. Yet, if flying is one of the worst offenders, we should definitely think it through.

But how many digital nomads actually care? And how many go further and consider it when planning their travels?

I feel the answers to those questions would sadden and disappoint me...

Back in January this year, I did an analysis of my year 2023 as a digital nomad. I looked at and posted numbers about living costs, housesitting facts, my whereabouts, my travel musts and some embarrassing travel facts.

I say embarrassing because I added up the kilometers from all my flights and all my roadtrips. And I was very well aware of the carbon emissions that were attached to those numbers.

Here's the post I am referring to (still branded to my previous name the.real.digital.nomad)

And here's my caption for it:

Here's my embarrassing carbon emission data 😬 luckily I make up for it with my low impact consumerism (e.g. no Amazon, no fast fashion, only ethical brands, etc.)

Kms traveled with my Jeep are an estimated 20,000 of that total and I spent about twice on gas as I did on flights 🤯 I definitely aim to drive at the very most half of that this year!

2023 was also a year where a good friend generously put me on her flight passes which allowed me to fly stand by for very very cheap. The only flights I paid full price for was a rountrip from Gold Coast, Aus to Queenstown, NZ. I am immensely grateful for that opportunity, which made the year so special and extra exciting ✨

So far this year I've only taken 1 plane and have 0 more flights planned 😅

I'm also housesitting locally so am barely driving 💪🏼

So, travel-wise, 2023 was an amazing year. But environment-wise, it definitely was not.

As an individual, how do I even offset 104,000 kms? And do I have to?

Well, my opinion is we should all take accountability for the decisions we make, and for what is within our control. So in this case, I chose to travel therefore I should be accountable for it. Imagine if we all had this mindset?! And not just us, small individuals. Imagine if every business owner and all the world leaders had this mindset? To be accountable for what is within our control... and not wait on others to take their part of responsibility.

Let's break it down for my situation.

I chose to drive around 20,000 kms last year. I also choose to drive my 2011 Jeep Wrangler. Could I drive less? Yes. Could I drive a hybrid or electric car? Financially, not really. Even considering the money I would save on gas, and the money I would get by selling my Jeep, I would not currently be able to cover the cost of buying a hybrid vehicle, even if purchased used. It is also worth noting that government grants and investments are not currently supporting the little known technology of converting fuel engine vehicles to hybrids, which to me, would be a total game changer! And lastly, charging stations are far in between in a lot of places I traveled to (the middle of Labrador barely has regular gas stations!), hence the consideration for a hybrid and not a fully electric vehicle.

So what could I do? First, I camped A LOT, leaving no trace. So my carbon footprint for accommodation was close to nil. And well, that's it. That's all I did in this category, other than committing to driving less than half of that in 2024. I know it's not enough...

As for the flights, 2023 was a particular year. I do not normally fly that much but I gave in to the FOMO of not making the most of my temporary standby privileges. The "good" thing is that flying standby really is flying on a plane that was going without you anyways. And my seat does not contribute to increasing or decreasing the airline's operations strategy, because they did not make money off me. In other words, whether or not I was on those standby flights did not realllly affect my carbon emissions. But I still take responsibility for it. I am accountable for the 84,000-ish kms I traveled by air.

So should I offset my emissions for the 104,000 kms traveled in 2023?

The short answer is yes. There's no harm.

The longer answer is, yes but. Yes but carbon offset mostly reduces consumer guilt, not actual carbon. Yes but it's hard to say if any carbon offset is effective and being measured accurately, for the long term. Yes but carbon offset just makes our finite resources fit into the infinite growth mindset of our capitalist world. Yes but I technically already am due to some federal regulations and carbon taxes...

Carbon offset releases us from the first, most important step of reducing. And that's what I need to do to be better. I need to reduce my travels. Then, I need to choose greener, more efficient means of transportation, where doable. And only then, can offsetting my emissions make sense.

But I can't go back to 2023 and make different decisions. So offsetting my travels does make sense. The next challenge is how?

I decided to first calculate what those 104,000 kms would look like for me. There are many calculators out there but I have a small preference for the Canadian site https://treecanada.ca/carbon-calculator/, a company I wouldn't mind working with actually! 😉 Here's their estimate when entering my milages as totals:

Screenshot taken from https://treecanada.ca/carbon-calculator/

Let's round this up to 80 trees. It doesn't seem like a lot. It doesn't really seem like enough. But it's something. And Tree Canada actually monitors the success rate of their tree planting, which I feel is missing from many other alternatives.

If each tree can be planted for $5, according to Tree Canada, that's a total of $400 (CAD). Which for an individual like me, is not that small after all... and makes me question where this blog post is going...

Moreover, there are many articles online promoting insetting over offsetting (such as reducing the carbon emissions from your supply chain), which makes sense and which I can easily agree with. However, what is my supply chain here? Where can I cut my "digital nomad operations emissions", if not by just traveling less and/or more slowly?

Alternatively, some experts suggest donating/investing in climate change charities instead, arguing this can have a more sustainable impact than planting trees or investing in solar energy, for example.

So long story short, the dilemma is complex, as is everything with making a positive impact in the world... there is no straightforward answer, no one-size-fit-all solution.

My reflexion on my own personal 2023 travels is this:

I am constantly reviewing and reducing my negative impact in so many categories: the way I buy, the products I buy and use, and where I buy from.

I choose to work with teams making a difference in the world.

I speak up about issues that are important to me, to my friends and family.

I assess my lifestyle and commit to continuous improvement.

I realize that 2023 was a carbon-intense year for me but that is not my norm.

I acknowledge that although I may not feel like I'm doing enough, I am, overall, doing good.

Today, I can choose to plant 80 trees for $400 out of my already extremely stretched and thin budget, perhaps creating an undefined-unmeasured impact. Or I can commit to doing better in 2024, by continuing my already great efforts in all areas of my life. AND I can state that I WILL offset any extra travel related emissions for 2024 (and start budgeting accordingly)!

Voilà :)