Climate Leaders Forum: Are carbon offsets a partial solution to the climate crisis or a revolution?
When we talk about the climate crisis, we’re quick to blame that famous “someone else” and demand that they solve the problem.
Antero Vartia, founder of the Compensate Foundation, points out that if we’re looking for someone to blame, the finger of blame points at each and every one of us. We all release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day.
Therefore, we all have both the right and the responsibility to do our part in combating climate change. According to Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate, Finns have fully embraced this idea.
“I’m often asked how Finland plans to achieve its ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by 2035. My answer is that everyone in our society—from businesses to civil society organizations—is involved in this effort,” Mikkonen says.
Collaboration throughout the value chain
On Tuesday, Vartia and Mikkonen spoke at the Climate Leaders Forum organized by T-Media and South Pole, which was titled “Carbon Offsetting: A Partial Solution to the Climate Crisis or a Revolution?”
Michiel Kernkamp, CEO of Nestlé Nordic, and Lea Rankinen, Head of Sustainability at S Group, shared the business community’s perspective during their remarks at the event.
Both spoke about the power of collaboration and emphasized that efforts to reduce the company’s carbon footprint must be made throughout the entire value chain. According to Rankinen, 97 percent of the S Group’s climate impact stems from emissions in the value chain.
“We need to do a better job of recognizing the connection between our plates and our planet. To achieve this, we need to work together,” says Kernkamp of Nestlé Nordic.
Compensation promotes a shift in mindset
In his remarks, Antero Vartia returned to the event’s theme and pondered whether emissions offsets are a partial solution to the climate crisis or a revolution.
“Offsets are not an alternative to emissions reductions. Nothing is. We need to make radical cuts. However, incorporating offsets into people’s lives can lead to a shift in thinking, and that, in turn, can help us succeed in combating climate change,” says Vartia.
Leo Stranius, Head of Sustainable Future at T-Media, also calls for a shift in thinking; in his closing remarks, he sparked a lively discussion among the audience about compensation.
“Climate action doesn’t mean giving up or making life harder. On the contrary. Companies that lead the way in sustainability will be the market winners of the future. Also remember that what matters isn’t what you do once in a while, but what you do consistently and over the long term,” Stranius says.
Climate Leaders Forum Finland, Helsinki, November 19, 2019
Organized by Southpole and T-Media, the Climate Leaders Forum Finland brought together leaders from various sectors to share their views on climate change actions and solutions.
Speakers at the event included Krista Mikkonen (Minister of the Environment and Climate), Antero Vartia (founder of the Compensate Foundation), Michiel Kernkamp (CEO of Nestlé Nordic), Lea Rankinen (Head of Sustainability, S Group), and Leo Stranius, Head of Sustainable Future at T-Media.
