Going Green: Contributing to a More Sustainable Future
At ARIN, we are committed to not only bettering the Internet and our community, but also the environment as well. A few years ago, an ARIN Board member asked us to look for ways to become a greener organization - and we were up to the task. We have taken several steps to work towards addressing and reducing our carbon footprint. One of the biggest areas we decided to focus on is travel.
All ARIN staff and leadership airline travel is coupled with the purchase of Travel Carbon Offsets. Since 2009, we’ve purchased more than $40,000 USD in carbon offsets, and we currently budget $5,000 for the purchase of offsets each year. We’ve also reduced staff travel for 2019 by 19% when compared to last year’s actual travel numbers!
Sounds great. But what is a carbon offset?
A carbon offset is a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. For example, the purchase of a carbon offset can help build a wind turbine in a small community that otherwise couldn’t afford one, thus reducing their carbon emissions and helping to offset your own emissions.
We purchase our carbon offsets through NativeEnergy and according to their website, “Carbon offsets are a practical and effective way to address climate change and encourage the growth of renewable energy. With them, you can counteract your personal carbon emissions—your “carbon footprint”—while contributing to a more sustainable future.” With the purchase of carbon offsets, we help fund projects through NativeEnergy around the world that reduce greenhouse gas pollution and contribute to a greener and more sustainable future. Each purchase of a carbon offset credit represents the removal or avoidance of one metric ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In 2018, we removed 323 tons of CO2 through our Travel Carbon Offset program which is equivalent to*:
- Taking 68.6 passenger vehicles off the road for a year
- Preventing 36,345 gallons of gasoline from being consumed
- 113 tons of waste being recycled instead of landfilled
But we didn’t stop there.
What else are you doing to help the environment?
In addition to our carbon offsetting program, we have also implemented a few green initiatives within our office as well.
We have:
- Stepped up our commitment to recycling aluminum cans, cardboard, and plastic containers in our offices.
- Replaced paper coffee cups with mugs so everyone can still get their caffeine without filling up the landfills. We also offer biodegradable forks and spoons, along with silverware and reusable plates and bowls.
- Reduced our dependence on printed materials for our Public Policy and Members Meetings and encourage the use of our mobile app.
- Made hybrid/electric car charging stations available at our office building.
We work hard to ensure we are doing what we can to protect the environment. We will continue to seek new ways to reduce our carbon footprint while implementing the programs we already have in place. We believe that these small actions add up and can make a difference in bettering our environment, together.
*calculated on the EPA website
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