FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We are the last generation with the power to combat climate change. GenZero is a new carbon offsetting product from CARE International that makes it easy for  you to play your part by going carbon neutral. It is a monthly subscription  allowing you or your family to offset your unavoidable carbon emissions. Unlike  other offsetting products, the carbon offsets are generated by programmes that  have the added benefit of helping to save lives and livelihoods around the world.

‘Avoidable emissions’ is how we describe the part of our carbon footprint that is within our control. By making changes to our lifestyles, we can all reduce our avoidable emissions. GenZero does not provide a means to avoid doing the hard work of reducing our carbon footprint. This is why we only offset unavoidable emissions.

CARE International is a registered charity working in over 100 countries,  supporting millions of the world’s poorest people to find routes out of poverty.  CARE provides life-saving assistance when disaster strikes, and helps people  rebuild their lives afterwards.

Through programmes and policy work the global CARE community tackles the  systemic causes of poverty so that people can gain the power to change their  own lives. 

CARE has created GenZero because the world’s poorest 1 billion people (those  living on less than $1 per day) are responsible for just 3% of the world’s carbon  emissions. Yet the Global South bears 80% of the cost of climate change,  including through food insecurity, loss and damage, compromised livelihoods  and instability.

The burden of the impacts of climate change falls disproportionately on women  and girls and will likely increase existing inequalities and vulnerabilities between  men and women. Women and girls are highly dependent on local natural  resources and are more likely to be vulnerable to climate variability impacts than men, due to social and cultural conditions that influence access to resources and  the division of labour, as well as the lack of participation in decision-making.  CARE places a special focus on empowering women and girls because, equipped  with the proper resources, women have the ability to lift whole families and  communities out of poverty.

Carbon offsetting is just one tool in the fight to reduce emissions and the impact of climate change. GenZero strongly advocates for organisations, groups and  individual people to change their actions to reduce their carbon footprint.  However, reducing a carbon footprint takes time and becoming completely carbon-neutral may be impossible for many, so we believe that there is a role for ethical carbon offsetting of unavoidable emissions.

● An easy way to reduce your impact on the planet
● Our carbon offsets are exclusively Gold Standard accredited.
● These  offsets are the best quality on the market.
● Monthly emails, with interesting news and tips to help you reduce  emissions
● Unlike other offsetting products, you'll help fund life changing projects in poor communities around the world – helping to protect people and our  planet at the same time. 

In simplified terms, a carbon credit can be generated when an action is taken  that has a net-positive impact on the environment. It is possible to quantify that  net-positivity of that action into a unit – a carbon ton. Essentially the amount of  CO2 tonnage not released into the atmosphere because of the action. One credit  equals 1 ton of CO2.

Once a credit is purchased it cannot be purchased by anyone else, the credit is formally retired.

When you pay to offset your emissions, you fund work that may plant trees or  prevent fossil fuels being used for cooking. This net-positive action for the planet is the 'offset' against your own emissions.

The projects CARE International funds to generate credits have the added benefit of changing and even saving lives. Providing fuel efficient cookstoves, for  example, prevents trees being cut for fuel, prevents that wood being burned and its carbon released, and prevents exposure to smoke for the family.

Not all carbon offsetting is created equal but the credits available on GenZero  are generated by Gold Standard Accredited projects. This means that there is a  meaningful long-lasting benefit for the planet that would not have happened  otherwise. The projects that generate GenZero credits not only have a net- positive impact on the environment, they also must have an additional positive  social impact such as improving health or creating jobs. 

All profits generated by GenZero carbon offsetting are used to grow the  GenZero programme and support CARE International’s global work fighting  poverty and defending dignity.

GenZero packages are calculated on the basis that the average person living in the UK has unavoidable emissions of 10 tonnes of carbon per year. The Couples package offsets 20 tonnes of carbon and the Family package offsets 30 tonnes. We are exploring ways to make your offsetting more tailored and personalised to your lifestyle in future.

Just under 80% of your monthly membership funds climate projects. Any profits are spent running GenZero and ensuring it reaches more people, as well as funding the wider work of CARE International.

There are countless ways to reduce your avoidable emissions. Sign up to GenZero emails for tips and challenges each month. Here are a few basics to get you started:

● Drive less.
● Walk and ride more!
● Cut down on meat and dairy, and swap for more locally produced, in  season food.
● Keep up the staycations close to home
● Switch to a renewable energy plan
● Reuse and recycle