In an era where environmental responsibility is paramount, businesses are exploring effective ways to manage their carbon footprint. Eevery, with its commitment to sustainability, has partnered with Cawa, a leader in traceable, high-quality carbon offsetting solutions. We're privileged to have had a conversation with Kees van Santen, co-founder of Cawa, about incorporating CO2 offsetting into corporate sustainability strategies.
Cawa's Origin: Fuelled by a Commitment to Sustainability
Q: What was the inspiration behind Cawa?
Kees van Santen: The seed for Cawa was sown from a passion for sustainability, nurtured through my experiences in Tanzania with off-grid solar home systems and carbon credits. We recognised a pressing need for businesses to have transparent, reliable means to offset their carbon emissions. Cawa was established to strengthen trust in carbon offsetting and to finance essential climate projects effectively.
A Transparent Approach to Carbon Offsetting
Q: Could you describe Cawa and its functionality?
Van Santen: Cawa is a state-of-the-art software platform that facilitates access to top-tier carbon credits. We have engaged with over 120 climate projects to curate a high-quality portfolio. By liaising directly with these projects and bypassing intermediaries, we offer clear insights into the funding distribution. Our integration with Eevery’s CO2 Offsetting tool provides businesses with a holistic solution to assess, reduce, and offset their carbon emissions.
Rigorous Evaluation of Climate Projects
Q: How does Cawa assess its climate projects?
Van Santen: Our evaluation process is comprehensive. We prioritise projects certified by well-known third-party standards like the Gold Standard and scrutinise project documentation against our stringent criteria. This is followed by interviews for further clarity and, where applicable, consultations with credit rating agencies or experts. Our mission is to facilitate the growth of high-quality climate projects, even in challenging environments.
Integrating CO2 Offsetting into Corporate Sustainability
Q: How should businesses incorporate CO2 offsetting in their sustainability plans?
Van Santen: An effective sustainability strategy must comprehensively address a company's carbon footprint. This encompasses three crucial steps: calculating the footprint, implementing reduction measures, and offsetting residual emissions. The climate crisis demands both significant reductions in CO2 emissions and offsetting the remaining emissions. A company solely focusing on offsetting without reduction is not aligned with the Paris Agreement's goals. Likewise, ignoring the offsetting of residual emissions delays crucial climate action for future generations. With the CO2 Offsetting tool of Eevery, companies are empowered to develop robust and impactful sustainability plans.
Through its partnership with Cawa, Eevery is enhancing the ability of businesses to adopt a proactive and responsible approach to sustainability. By emphasizing transparency, impact, and a balanced methodology in CO2 offsetting, companies are well-positioned to not just meet their environmental obligations but to be at the forefront of the sustainability movement.
