TEDxFiesole is Carbon Neutral
with Permian Global

8 tons CO2 

Each company must commit to reducing its production chain to be Carbon Neutral in 2050. TEDxFiesole cannot exempt itself from this. Where not avoidable, all the CO2 emissions we produce will be offset by a project entrusted to a leading partner in the sector, such as Permian Global.

An event Carbon neutral or at net zero emissions means that the total net emissions are zero. TEDxFiesole will inevitably produce greenhouse gases. All the activities related to our event will have an impact starting with air transport of guests, food consumed, overnight stays, waste, use of disposable plastics and more. All these polluting but unavoidable actions will be balanced by the removal of CO2 or by measures that will compensate for all the climate-altering gases we will have emitted.

A carbon offset is a mechanism for compensating greenhouse gas emissions. An activity, like protecting a threatened forest, that has avoided, reduced or removed a quantity of emissions (i.e. one tonne of C02 equivalent) is used to compensate for an equivalent amount of emissions. 

For this to be credible, carbon offsets must be science-based, measurable, transparent and third-party verified. Meanwhile, using carbon offsets must be part of a broader strategy for lowering total emissions and also be science-based, measurable and transparent.

Permian Global is a mission-led company that is working to protect and restore threatened tropical forest landscapes. By developing large-scale tropical forest projects, the company aims to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, protect habitats to safeguard biodiversity and support sustainable local economies and wellbeing.

Permian Global works in countries across the tropics, including in Indonesia, where the Katingan Mentaya Project is located.

The Katingan Mentaya Project covers 157,000 hectares of carbon rich peatland forest in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. The project pursues three core goals. 

First, by ensuring the huge stores of carbon remain locked in the biomass and not released into the atmosphere as CO2, the project is making a significant contribution to addressing the global climate emergency.

Second, protection of the peat swamp forests safeguards a rich biodiverse habitat, one that is home to many high conservation value species, including the Bornean orangutan and Proboscis monkey, which are both critically endangered.

Third, through a variety of socio-economic activities, the project is working to significantly improve the well-being and the sustainable economic prospects of 43,000 people, living in 34 village communities along the edges of the forest site. 

For more information about Permian Global www.permianglobal.com 

For more information about the Katingan Mentaya Project www.katinganproject.com  

• Additionality: that without the project activity, significant volumes of carbon dioxide will have been released
• Permanence: that the avoided release of carbon dioxide is permanent i.e. the carbon offset is permanent
• No leakage: that the activities of the project did not result in displacing the release of carbon dioxide outside the project boundaries
• Measurable: that the carbon offset is quantifiable using recognised conservative methods against a credible baseline
• Independently audited: that the proponent of the project undertakes an initial audit against the methodology by a certified independent third-party auditing body and further periodic audits are performed to assess the activity’s progress
• No negative impacts on local communities: projects must have the support and be supportive of local populations affected by the activities. This includes appropriate consultation, free and prior consent and benefit sharing through agreed programmes.

Offsetting emissions can be a contentious issue. Some critics argue that it lets businesses off the hook to continue generating emissions while greenwashing their image. Another is that projects that generate carbon credits cannot be trusted, and their impacts are often inflated or made up. 

Offsetting remains a possible solution to push companies to do more; as in all things that touch on the topic of sustainability, the possibilities of using it for pure marketing purposes are many; the important thing is to turn to clean and third-party verified companies.