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Carbon Offset Fuels FAQ: Common Questions & Answers

Carbon Offset Fuels FAQs

Whether you wish to offset your red diesel, white diesel, heating oil or kerosene, you can purchase verified carbon credits from Beesley Fuels to invest in projects across the globe.

Carbon offset fuels are one of our newer offerings so we’ve put together our most frequently asked questions to give you a detailed insight into what’s involved.

If you still have unanswered questions, give our carbon offset fuels experts a call on 0330 123 1144, who will be able to help.

1. What is carbon offsetting?
2. How do carbon offset fuels work?
3. What projects will I be supporting?
4. Are Beesley Fuels’ carbon credits verified?
5. What is a carbon offset?
6. Why should I offset my fuel’s emissions?
7. What are the benefits of carbon offset fuels?
8. What is a carbon footprint?
9. How much does carbon offsetting cost?
10. Does Beesley Fuels offset their emissions?
11. Offsetting terms explained

What is carbon offsetting?

Carbon offsetting is an effective way to counteract your carbon emissions (CO₂) when used in conjunction with other carbon-reducing initiatives.

With carbon offsetting, a business or individual can purchase the equivalent amount of carbon credits to compensate for the emissions they cannot reduce or avoid. This allows you to fund sustainable global projects that give a comparable net reduction of CO₂ emissions, ensuring there’s no net increase in global greenhouse gas emissions.

How do carbon offset fuels work?

To use carbon offset fuels, you don’t need to make any adaptations or modifications to your equipment or engines. They are exactly the same fuel as your regular diesel, gas oil or heating oil. You simply purchase carbon credits at just a few pence extra per litre, allowing you to support verified carbon-reducing projects.

When you place a regular fuel order, you can simply ask your account manager to offset the emissions. We will then calculate your carbon offset contribution based on your delivery size and add it to your final bill.

Once your fuel has been delivered, you’ll receive a certificate that demonstrates your commitment to the environment and provides an accurate record of your offset emissions.

What projects will I be supporting?

When you purchase carbon offset fuels from Beesley Fuels, you’re helping to fund carbon-saving projects both in the UK and around the globe.

Any activity that reduces emissions can constitute a carbon offset, including projects designed to help reduce future emissions (i.e. mitigation measures) and projects that help to soak up CO₂ from the air (i.e. removal measures).

Carbon offsetting project examples include:

Nature-based solutions – emissions that are avoided or removed by nature-based solutions to climate change can be sold as carbon offsets. Projects include forest preservation and restoration, as well as natural carbon sinks including water and soil-based projects.

Clean energy solutions – developing new renewable energy projects and energy efficiency measures as well as the development and distribution of low-carbon alternatives to fossil fuels.

Technological solutions – carbon soaked up and stored by new technologies such as Direct Air Capture (DAC) may also be sold as carbon offsets, however, these projects have currently not been deployed at scale.

To help increase transparency around your carbon credits and the initiatives that you could be supporting, we’ve put together a showcase of some ongoing offsetting projects to show you the great work that’s being done to fight climate change around the world.

Download our free brochure >

Are Beesley Fuels’ carbon credits verified?

Yes, all our credits are selected from global projects which are independently certified to Gold Standard, Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), CDM (United Nations Climate Change Carbon Mechanism) or CCBS (The Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance) standards which are globally recognised benchmarks for carbon offsets.

What is a carbon offset?

The terms ‘carbon offset’ and ‘carbon credit’ are often used interchangeably but they have slightly different meanings.

A carbon offset refers to a reduction in CO₂ emissions that’s used to compensate for emissions that occur elsewhere to ensure there’s no net increase in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Since greenhouse gases mix globally in the atmosphere, it doesn’t necessarily matter where they are reduced.

A carbon credit is a transactable environmental unit that is certified by governments or independent certification bodies to represent an emission reduction of 1 metric tonne of CO₂.

Offset claims are only valid under a set of rigorous conditions. All of our credits are selected from global projects which are independently certified.

Why should I offset my fuel emissions?

Reducing emissions should always be the primary focus of your net zero strategy. Carbon offsetting should not be used as a replacement to directly reduce emissions within your company’s value chain. However, offsets can play a vital role in meeting international climate goals when a business cannot avoid or reduce all its emissions.

What are the benefits of carbon offset fuels?

• A fantastic way to counteract the carbon emissions released from your fuel usage when combined with other carbon-reducing activities
• They can contribute to your company’s carbon reduction commitment
• Complements any other initiatives that you already take to protect the environment
• Positive PR for your company
• Can help improve your relations with those who share your concerns, such as local communities and target media
• Many offset projects improve the quality of life of a developing area e.g. replacing wood-burning stoves with solar ovens in Africa – with no need to collect firewood, there is a reduction in greenhouse gas pollution

What is a carbon footprint?

A carbon footprint is the total amount of direct and indirect greenhouse gases generated by the activities of an individual or business.

How much does carbon offsetting cost?

This depends on your delivery location and the quantity of fuel required. Simply give our office a call on 0330 123 1144 and a member of our sales team will be able to give you a free no-obligation quote.

Does Beesley Fuels offset their emissions?

As of April 2022, Beesley Fuels is certified carbon neutral in line with the PAS 2060:2014 standards. We’ve achieved this milestone by running our entire delivery fleet on HVO, reducing our emissions and offsetting those that we cannot avoid or reduce. Through the purchase of carbon credits, we’re compensating for residual emissions by identifying and delivering carbon reduction projects.

Did you know…

We first began voluntarily offsetting our delivery mileage back in 2007 and we’re now running our entire delivery fleet on HVO, with any remaining emissions continuing to be offset.

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Offsetting terms explained

Carbon credit

A tradeable environmental unit that’s certified by governments or independent certification bodies to represent an emission reduction of 1 metric tonne of CO₂. Businesses may purchase and retire these credits to claim the emission reductions for themselves.

Carbon offset

A carbon offset refers to an action intended to compensate for the emission of CO₂ emissions as a result of human activity that occurs elsewhere to ensure there’s no net increase in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Carbon avoidance

Carbon avoidance projects contribute to climate action by preventing carbon that would have otherwise been released into the atmosphere.

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS)

A process that separates or captures a reasonably pure stream of CO₂ from industrial and energy-related sources, conditions it, compresses it and transports it to a storage site for long-term isolation from the atmosphere.

Carbon cycle

The carbon cycle refers to the process where carbon atoms travel continuously around the atmosphere to Earth and back into the atmosphere – nature’s way of recycling carbon atoms.

Carbon market

A system to trade carbon credits that may be voluntary or mandated by the government.

Carbon neutral

A state of net zero carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

Carbon offset

Carbon offsetting refers to the act of using carbon credits to counteract some of the GHG emissions generated by a company or individual.

Carbon mitigation

Actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by avoiding activities that would have produced emissions, such as switching to renewable energy or avoiding deforestation.

Climate-positive / carbon-negative

Both terms mean that an organisation is actively removing existing carbon from the atmosphere.

Carbon sequestration

A recognised method of carbon reduction, carbon sequestration is a natural or artificial process where CO₂ is removed from the atmosphere and held in solid or liquid form.

Carbon removal

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is a process where GHGs are soaked up from the atmosphere and sequestered for long periods of time through natural, geological or technological solutions.

Emissions trading schemes

A form of carbon market where the government enforces a sector-based, regional or nationwide cap on emissions. Organisations operating within these schemes may only produce carbon according to how many allowances they own and may trade these allowances between themselves.

Greenhouse gases

A greenhouse gas (GHG) is a gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and contributes to the greenhouse effect via human activity,

Greenwashing

An organisation that uses false or misleading promotion/information to appear as though it’s taking part in environmentally friendly activities without actually taking tangible climate action.

Net zero

Net zero emissions can be achieved when all GHG emissions caused by human activity are balanced by the same amount that is removed from the atmosphere over a specific period.

Insetting

A strategy that allows organisations to pay for emissions reduction or removal projects within their own value chain.

Retirement

The process where a carbon offset is used and removed so it can no longer be sold or traded on any exchange. It transpires after the reduction in GHG emissions has been removed from the final owner’s carbon footprint.

Ready to learn more about offsetting your fuel emissions? Call our carbon offsetting fuel experts today on 0330 123 1144 to discuss your plans and to find out more about what’s involved.