Tread Lightly FAQs

Let’s start with a simple one. We at Eurostar believe that everyone has an obligation to reduce their environmental impact, and as a business we’re no different.

Travelling on one of our carbon neutral journeys, as opposed to taking a short-haul flight to the same destination, is just one way that you can do your bit.

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It’s a way of reducing the impact of carbon emissions from everyday activities, be it driving a car or consuming electricity or gas produced by the burning of fossil fuels. The emissions from such activity are calculated and credits purchased from project(s) which reduce carbon by an equivalent amount. This process is often managed using a carbon offsetting provider.

The term ‘carbon’ is often used as shorthand for carbon dioxide (CO₂). One tonne of carbon is equivalent to 3.67 tonnes of CO₂. Each emissions reduction credit purchased is equivalent to one metric tonne of CO₂.

The projects we’re investing in would not have been possible without financing from the sale of carbon credits, and they provide an alternative to other technologies that produce more CO₂.

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All greenhouse gases can be assessed in terms of CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e) by applying the relevant global warming potential factors. Methane, for instance, has a global warming potential 23 times greater than carbon dioxide, so it needs 23 carbon credits to cancel the emissions from every tonne that is released into the atmosphere. In all there are 6 main types of greenhouse gases that result from human activity and these are covered by the Kyoto Protocol.

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Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) are generated by emissions reduction projects registered under the Clean Development Mechanism (run by the UN), which was set up under the Kyoto Protocol as a means of meeting emissions caps that have been placed on industries with very high emissions. These CERs are predominantly meant for the mandatory compliance market although people who have opted to reduce their own emissions voluntarily can also purchase them.

Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) are carbon credits which have been generated for the voluntary market. There are two main types of VER that are of interest to us at Eurostar: Voluntary Carbon Units (VCU) under the Voluntary Carbon Standard; and VERs from the Voluntary Gold Standard (VGS). Both of these standards meet Eurostar’s strict requirements to make sure the emissions reductions are of a credible quality and have been independently verified.

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The term climate change refers to the variation in the earth’s global temperature and weather patterns. Climate change does occur naturally but over recent years there has been a growing consensus among scientists that an increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere has occurred as a direct result of human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

Greenhouse gases work by absorbing thermal infrared radiation which is then emitted back to the earth. As infrared radiation heats things up, it stands to reason that an increased concentration of greenhouse gases causes an increase in average surface temperature.

There are six main types of greenhouse gases produced by human activity. The most commonly known of these are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. The other three are tongue twisters: perfluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride.

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Additionality is an important criterion in setting up carbon emission reduction projects. In order to qualify for any one of the carbon standards it is important to prove that the project would not have been able to take place without the funding provided by the sale of carbon credits. It also considers other obstacles such as geographic and technical barriers and assesses whether the methodology used is already considered as a business as usual practice and, if so, it would not be a valid offsetting project. Additionality is one of the hardest areas in carbon offsetting to quantify so at Eurostar we make sure that we study the merits of each project that we invest in with the help of our supplier Carbon Clear.

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Validation refers to the independent assessment of the design of each project before it is implemented. The technologies used in the design of the project and the amount of CO₂e saved against a ‘business as usual’ scenario are both criteria which are assessed. This gives assurance as to the quality of the credits generated under the Clean Development Mechanism or any of the voluntary standards that exist. The validation methodologies used are detailed and include information on project type and location, impact assessments, the way they are financed and the technical details of how the project works.

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Verification is undertaken by an independent third party with expertise in this field. They assess projects against a number of key criteria to ensure that the projects are really taking place, that they perform as planned according to the documentation that was submitted for validation (see point 7) and that the quantification of emission reductions can be verified. This process ensures that the claimed carbon emission reductions are real and have already taken place.

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