The Challenge of Carbon Offsetting As I’ve begun to seriously track my carbon footprint, one of the most contentious questions I’ve encountered is: should I offset my emissions, and if so, how? Carbon offsetting sounds simple in principle – if you emit X tonnes of CO2, you pay for projects that remove or prevent X tonnes of CO2 elsewhere. But the reality is considerably more complex. Types of Offsetting Avoidance Projects These prevent emissions that would otherwise occur: