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.

The team lost the $300-million sponsorship deal and an additional $20 million paid for carbon offset purchases.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

"On average, each club saves around £3,000 and offsets 3.3 tonnes of carbon, totalling an estimated annual carbon offset of over 840 tonnes, with an estimated energy saving of around £840,000 for all clubs combined".

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

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

One way to achieve this is through the carbon offset market, where organizations or individuals can buy credits from emissions-reducing projects.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2024

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

From New York Times • May 6, 2024

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