2.3.3 Carbon offsetting and trading
Content
- Geographic inquiry and concept(s)
- Possibilities for responding to climate change and power over the decision-making process
- Geographic knowledge and understanding
- Government-led adaptation and mitigation strategies for global climate change: carbon emissions offsetting and trading
- Case study or detailed examples
- Neither required by the syllabus
- Aims of this lesson
- To have knowledge and understanding of several mitigation strategies for global climate change including:
- carbon emissions offsetting
- carbon trading
- To be able to discuss the possibilities of various mitigation strategies and their likely success.
- To have knowledge and understanding of several mitigation strategies for global climate change including:
Base knowledge and understanding
News article
Europe’s most effective tool to cut greenhouse gas emissions ‘risks being weakened’
European Commission proposal to overhaul emissions trading system would give companies less demanding pathway to reductions
The Guardian · 17 July 2026
Key terms
- Adaptation
- Means anticipating the adverse effects of climate change and taking appropriate action to prevent or minimise the damage they can cause, or taking advantage of opportunities that may arise.
- Carbon emissions offsetting
- A mitigation strategy that aims to compensate for carbon dioxide emissions produced by an activity by funding an equivalent carbon dioxide saving elsewhere. It typically involves paying a commercial organisation to invest in projects that reduce or remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
- Carbon trading
- Carbon emissions trading (CET), also known as emissions trading, is a market-based approach to mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. CET schemes aim to create financial incentives for businesses to reduce their emissions by putting a price on carbon.
- Mitigation
- The action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something.
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Review
- Explain why the spatial mismatch between the sources and impacts of greenhouse gas emissions creates a geopolitical challenge. [2]
- Outline one challenge of achieving international agreement on greenhouse gas emission reductions. [2]
- The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are the best framework for addressing both resource consumption and climate change. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
- “Strategies designed to manage global resource security are more effective than strategies designed to mitigate climate change.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
- “The effectiveness of policies in managing global climate change is limited by geopolitical factors.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
- Civil society organisations are more effective than governments at addressing climate change. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
- “Adapting to the consequences of climate change is more important than attempting to mitigate climate change.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]