Carbon offsets and sinks

Land procurement 

Natural systems such as forests and oceans are carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide. Some universities and colleges have offset a portion of emissions through the acquisition and/or ownership of land. To meet international carbon offset standards specific requirements need to be achieved. The Carbon Offsetting to Attain Greenhouse Gas Targets report [PDF- 2.5 MB] identified the conditions and costs of local land protection as a carbon sink opportunity. Based on this information, campus surveys, and existing literature, carbon sink opportunities are ranked as a lower-priority strategy compared to others the University can strive to implement in the next decade. 

Renewable energy 

Offsite renewable energy can be certified as a renewable energy credit or carbon offset. When the university purchases certified carbon offsets, renewable energy is a viable option. 

Local carbon offsets 

Dalhousie implemented a biomass replacement guideline that requires that all campus trees taken down be replaced with the same amount of biomass. This program since 2013 has resulted in the planting of over 400 trees. Opportunities will be explored to create a carbon off-set program based on business travel where the funding collected could fund community carbon projects.