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The concept of a political "carbon footprint" measuring individuals' political choices (e.g. voting) were first introduced in 2021 for the election in Canada^[1] by Seth Wynes, Matthew Motta, and Simon Donner; and in parallel for Germany and the UK^[2] by Jakob Thomä. This research represents the first attempt to expand the concept of a personal footprint beyond consumption and investment footprints. The analysis for the election in Canada suggests the median "pro-climate" vote translated to 34.2 tons of CO₂e emissions reduction, compared to a 2 ton reduction of living car free. The analysis for Germany and UK measured relative footprint reductions by switching the vote to more "pro-climate parties". In the German Elections in 2021, a German voter would have reduced around 7 tons of CO₂e emissions per year when switching from the SPD (Labour) party to the Green party, compared to 3 tons associated with switching to a more "sustainable lifestyle". Political carbon footprints typically find significantly higher emissions reduction potential than consumption or investment footprints, given that consumption footprints only capture effects on your own behavior whereas voters determine climate outcomes for both voters for the winning party, voters for the losing party, and non-voters.

Carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, and the emissions of other GHGs, are often associated with the burning of fossil fuels, like natural gas, crude oil and coal. While this is harmful to the environment, carbon offsets can be purchased in an attempt to make up for these harmful effects.

The Kyoto Protocol defines legally binding targets and timetables for cutting the GHG emissions of industrialized countries that ratified the Kyoto Protocol. Accordingly, from an economic or market perspective, one has to distinguish between a mandatory market and a voluntary market. Typical for both markets is the trade with emission certificates:

• Certified Emission Reduction (CER)
• Emission Reduction Unit (ERU)
• Verified Emission Reduction (VER)

To reach the goals defined in the Kyoto Protocol, with the least economical costs, the following flexible mechanisms were introduced for the mandatory market:

• Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
• Joint Implementation (JI)
• Emissions trading

The CDM and JI mechanisms requirements for projects which create a supply of emission reduction instruments, while Emissions Trading allows those instruments to be sold on international markets.

• Projects which are compliant with the requirements of the CDM mechanism generate Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs).
• Projects which are compliant with the requirements of the JI mechanism generate Emission Reduction Units (ERUs).

The CERs and ERUs can then be sold through Emissions Trading. The demand for the CERs and ERUs being traded is driven by:

• Shortfalls in national emission reduction obligations under the Kyoto Protocol.
• Shortfalls amongst entities obligated under local emissions reduction schemes.

Nations which have failed to deliver their Kyoto emissions reductions obligations can enter Emissions Trading to purchase CERs and ERUs to cover their treaty shortfalls. Nations and groups of nations can also create local emission reduction schemes which place mandatory carbon dioxide emission targets on entities within their national boundaries. If the rules of a scheme allow, the obligated entities may be able to cover all or some of any reduction shortfalls by purchasing CERs and ERUs through Emissions Trading. While local emissions reduction schemes have no status under the Kyoto Protocol itself, they play a prominent role in creating the demand for CERs and ERUs, stimulating Emissions Trading and setting a market price for emissions.

A well-known mandatory local emissions trading scheme is the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS).

New changes are being made to the trading schemes. The EU Emissions Trading Scheme is set to make some new changes within the next year. The new changes will target the emissions produced by flight travel in and out of the European Union.^[3]

Other nations are scheduled to start participating in Emissions Trading Schemes within the next few years. These nations include China, India and the United States.^[3]

In contrast to the strict rules set out for the mandatory market, the voluntary market provides companies with different options to acquire emissions reductions. A solution, comparable with those developed for the mandatory market, has been developed for the voluntary market, the Verified Emission Reductions (VER). This measure has the great advantage that the projects/activities are managed according to the quality standards set out for CDM/JI projects but the certificates provided are not registered by the governments of the host countries or the Executive Board of the UNO. As such, high quality VERs can be acquired at lower costs for the same project quality. However, at present VERs can not be used in mandatory market.

The voluntary market in North America is divided between members of the Chicago Climate Exchange and the Over The Counter (OTC) market. The Chicago Climate Exchange is a voluntary yet legally binding cap-and-trade emission scheme whereby members commit to the capped emission reductions and must purchase allowances from other members or offset excess emissions. The OTC market does not involve a legally binding scheme and a wide array of buyers from the public and private spheres, as well as special events that want to go carbon neutral. Being carbon neutral refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset, or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference.

There are project developers, wholesalers, brokers, and retailers, as well as carbon funds, in the voluntary market. Some businesses and nonprofits in the voluntary market encompass more than just one of the activities listed above. A report by Ecosystem Marketplace shows that carbon offset prices increase as it moves along the supply chain—from project developer to retailer.^[4]

While some mandatory emission reduction schemes exclude forest projects, these projects flourish in the voluntary markets. A major criticism concerns the imprecise nature of GHG sequestration quantification methodologies for forestry projects. However, others note the community co-benefits that forestry projects foster. Project types in the voluntary market range from avoided deforestation, afforestation/reforestation, industrial gas sequestration, increased energy efficiency, fuel switching, methane capture from coal plants and livestock, and even renewable energy. Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) sold on the voluntary market are quite controversial due to additionality concerns.^[5] Industrial Gas projects receive criticism because such projects only apply to large industrial plants that already have high fixed costs. Siphoning off industrial gas for sequestration is considered picking the low hanging fruit; which is why credits generated from industrial gas projects are the cheapest in the voluntary market.

The Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets (TSVCM), an initiative led by ex-governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney, aims to bring more outstanding quality and integrity to the voluntary carbon markets. The TSVCM during 2023 will seek to create a set of Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) and mechanisms to simplify companies access to high-integrity credits and provide banks and investors confidence for financing carbon projects and trading credits.

The size and activity of the voluntary carbon market are difficult to measure. The market size of voluntary carbon offsets market in 2021 is expected to hit $1 billion.^[6]

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Is including in the lead that this metric is exclusively useful for "comparing" necessary? The article on "Debt" doesn't include that you can use a persons personal debt to compare to others. The article on "GDP" doesn't mention you should use it to compare between countries. I don't think I find the value of comparing to be super important in describing what it is. It is just a metric, explain how it is measured, later in the article it can mention potential uses, such as consumers using it to make informed decisions, etc. "is a calculated value or index that makes it possible to compare the total amount of greenhouse gases that an activity, product, company or country" Nickleback007 (talk) 17:38, 20 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The lead doesn't say it's exclusively useful for comparing but it stresses its usefulness for comparisons. The actual figures of carbon footprint mean very little to the average person (is 2 tons of CO2 per 1000 km travelled a lot? Not a lot?) but when you use it to compare different modes of travelling, it becomes useful. Also, the comparison aspect is important because we have to compare apples for apples: how much of the upstream and downstream activities are included in the calculated footprint value for each product or process etc. EMsmile (talk) 18:36, 20 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Right, the page for "Mass" which is another metric doesn't explicitly mention comparing even though Mass is used to compare almost all the time. I don't think comparison is important enough to be at the front of the article. Why should comparing be at the intro of the article? Nickleback007 (talk) 17:17, 22 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The actual figures of carbon footprint mean very little to the average person (is 2 tons of CO2 per 1000 km travelled a lot? Not a lot?)

Who's to say that it is a lot? are we qualifying UNqualified people to use this metric to COMPARE things to eachother? Knowing that it can be used for comparison seems trivial and should be included later. Nickleback007 (talk) 17:19, 22 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

" but it stresses its usefulness for comparisons"

Is "stressing" something an encyclopedic tone? Nickleback007 (talk) 17:38, 22 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Over the course of the next many weeks I will be making frequent and bold edits as well as engaging with the Talk Page and the community around this article. I am editing as a part of a Technical Editing Class and am excited to do some reading and contributing. I will be making edits in line with organization, structure, cleaning up, and just making sure things make sense. I have already made a few suggestions and am excited to hear some feedback. Nickleback007 (talk) 17:55, 20 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Welcome to Wikipedia but please don't be too bold, given that you are a newbie and a student. Best to discuss your proposed changes on the talk page first. Many of us experienced editors are happy in theory when students are contributing to Wikipedia articles but in practice, a lot of their edits have to be undone because the students don't follow the rules properly or are not adding value (e.g. by using outdated references, too many primary sources, not secondary sources etc.). I find it particularly frustrating when the student's lecturers/professors make no effort in mopping up / checking the student's work but leaving that all up to the community. So please make only small incremental changes to start with and use the talk page a lot. EMsmile (talk) 18:33, 20 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I am excited to join this GLOBAL community of editors from all walks of life and varied levels of experience! It's so exciting to contribute to the Wikipedia Editor's mission to "Make Bold Edits"! As I mentioned I won't be adding content, just cleaning up. Your concern is noted! Thanks for the welcome! Nickleback007 (talk) 17:40, 22 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 30 January 2024 and 9 May 2024. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Logan T. Jones (article contribs).

— Assignment last updated by Mollyabell1 (talk) 18:40, 1 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]