Why Permanent Carbon Removal Trumps Avoidance Offsets
We all know that cutting carbon emissions is a huge part of fighting climate change. Many people and companies try to reduce their impact by investing in carbon offsets. But not all carbon offsets are the same. In fact, there’s a big difference between “carbon removal” and “carbon avoidance.” And understanding that difference is important if we want to stop climate change for good.
Sites like https://planet-positive.org/ help explain the difference, but let’s break it down in simple terms here.
Carbon avoidance is when someone pays to stop emissions from happening in the first place. For example, planting trees, stopping deforestation, or funding clean energy projects. These are good actions, and they do help. But there’s a catch: they often only prevent future emissions and don’t remove the carbon that’s already in the air.
That’s where permanent carbon removal steps in. This method actually takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere—either by capturing it and locking it underground or using other methods that make sure it stays out for hundreds or even thousands of years. It’s not just slowing things down. It’s cleaning up the mess.
Here’s an easy way to picture it: carbon avoidance is like not adding more trash to the street. Carbon removal is actually picking up the trash that’s already there.
Another thing to think about is reliability. Some avoidance projects can be temporary. For example, if a forest planted to absorb carbon later burns down, all that carbon gets released back into the air. On the other hand, good carbon removal projects are built to last. Scientists and engineers are creating ways to store carbon safely and make sure it doesn’t come back anytime soon.
At the end of the day, we can’t just focus on slowing down emissions. We also need to clean up the carbon that’s already causing problems. That’s why investing in permanent carbon removal is a stronger way to make a real, long-term difference.
Combining both approaches is still helpful, but if you want to support something that gives lasting results in our fight against climate change, permanent carbon removal is the better choice. It helps move us closer to a healthier and more stable planet.