carbon offset

British

noun

1. a compensatory measure made by an individual or company for carbon emissions, usually through sponsoring activities or projects which increase carbon dioxide absorption, such as tree planting
2. ( as modifier )
  
  a carbon-offset scheme

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Renting a farm was the "only realistic option" because land prices were so high, influenced in part by "big companies buying land to plant trees for carbon offset", she claimed.

From BBC • Jul. 23, 2025

Most estimates suggest that afforestation is the “cheapest” means of offsetting carbon emissions — the international Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimates it will cost more than $14 per ton of carbon offset.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2025

Advocates like Graphyte’s Rogers want to ensure the market for carbon removal credits avoids the problems and scandals that have plagued the carbon offset market.

From Salon • Jul. 18, 2024

A carbon offset is a credit that you can buy to make up for your emissions.

From New York Times • May 6, 2024

In the California carbon market, the largest regulatory U.S. carbon market, 3% of a carbon offset project is reserved for catastrophic risks such as hurricanes and other storm events.

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023