Apple claims its new Apple Watch is carbon neutral and has done impressive work to decarbonize its supply chain, but making new stuff always leaves a mark on the climate.
Offsets are a nice idea, but they aren’t being used as a way to buy time. By allowing companies to buy carbon credits instead of paying a carbon tax, for example. Companies would have to choose, but they would have to do something. Preferably all options at once.
Rather, they are being used as a marketing strategy to sell more, by placating the consumer’s sense of guilt. This specifically allows people to feel good about choosing to consume more when they might not need to, because the offset provides the illusion of that choice now being harmless.
But when offsets are used for marketing towards the consumer this way, they do not function as a brake. They are instead a way for consumers and corporations alike to have an excuse to not take their feet off the accelerator.
Offsets are a nice idea, but they aren’t being used as a way to buy time. By allowing companies to buy carbon credits instead of paying a carbon tax, for example. Companies would have to choose, but they would have to do something. Preferably all options at once.
Rather, they are being used as a marketing strategy to sell more, by placating the consumer’s sense of guilt. This specifically allows people to feel good about choosing to consume more when they might not need to, because the offset provides the illusion of that choice now being harmless.
But when offsets are used for marketing towards the consumer this way, they do not function as a brake. They are instead a way for consumers and corporations alike to have an excuse to not take their feet off the accelerator.