Over the course of millions of years, the global climate has experienced fluctuations. Since the beginning of industrialisation, however, the composition of the atmosphere has changed as a result of greenhouse gas emissions. This global warming caused by human beings intensifies the natural greenhouse effect and is leading to detectable changes to the climate. This global warming also has a significant effect on people and nature.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global warming of the last 50 years is clearly attributable to humans. Due to emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, i.e. oil, gas and coal, as well as human land use, the natural greenhouse effect is intensified.

The anthropogenic greenhouse effect is due to greenhouse gases emitted by humans, which amplify the natural greenhouse effect. This leads to global warming. This noticeable change in the climate has a significant impact on people and nature.

Climate change destabilises the Earth’s temperature equilibrium and has far-reaching effects on human beings and the environment. A distinction is made between direct and indirect effects of climate change. During the course of global warming, the energy balance and thus the temperature of the earth change, due to the increased concentration of greenhouse gases, which has a significant impact on humans and the environment.

Greenhouse gases are the gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that produce the greenhouse effect. Most greenhouse gases can have either a natural or an anthropogenic (man-made) source.

The greenhouse effect is basically a natural process that has a significant impact on the temperature on Earth. However, since the beginning of industrialisation, the presence of long-lasting greenhouse gases has been increasing dramatically.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a colourless and odourless gas that is a natural component of our air and makes up part of the carbon cycle.

A person living in Switzerland produces on average 14 tonnes of CO2 per year. When compared with other countries, this means that Switzerland has above-average per capita CO2 emissions. But what exactly does it mean to cause one tonne of CO2 and what can be understood by it? myclimate has drawn up a comparison.

A CO2 equivalent (CO2e) is a unit of measurement that is used to standardise the climate effects of various greenhouse gases.

When comparing CO2 emissions internationally, three different emission variables of the individual countries are relevant: direct CO2 emissions, imported CO2 emissions and a country’s per capita emissions. Current figures on the three emission variables show that Switzerland is one of the largest causers of CO2 emissions.

For scientists, the term “climate” encompasses weather patterns over a long period. Although this term is somewhat abstract, its impact is very real. What is the difference between weather and climate? And what are the climate factors and drivers?

The ecological definition of sustainability originated with the Brundtland Report in 1987, which describes sustainable development as one that satisfies the needs of the present without adversely affecting the conditions for future generations.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are common, universal goals for member states of the United Nations to transform the world into a fairer, more prosperous and peaceful society until 2030. They were adopted in September 2015 as successors to the Millennium Goals.

Climate offset projects support the use of renewable energy, realise energy efficiency measures or reduce methane emissions. This can be achieved through technological advances, the filtering of greenhouse gases from power plants and production facilities, but also through afforestation and other suitable measures in agriculture.

myclimate applies only the strictest independent quality standards when choosing and designing its own carbon offset projects. International projects are primarily certified according to Gold Standard and Plan Vivo, and selected projects also according to VCS (incl. CCB and/or SD-VISta). Swiss projects are certified according to the guidelines of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN)/Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) or the Swiss VER (Voluntary Emission Reductions) guidelines.

Everyone can make a contribution to climate protection! In line with the motto "Avoid, reduce and compensate", we can take responsibility for our own ecological footprints, i.e. for our CO2 emissions. The most common everyday causes of harmful emissions are travel with cars or aeroplanes, heating and electricity usage and our consumption behaviour.

Greenhouse gas emissions produced by people and the resulting global temperature increase are a key cause of climate change. Through decarbonisation – the switch from fossil fuels to carbon-free and renewable energy sources – states and companies worldwide want to reduce and avoid CO2 emissions. However, current global climate targets are still not ambitious enough to effectively stem climate change.

On 11 December, 1997, in Kyoto, Japan, the additional protocol to the organisation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted. The aim was to slow down climate change by means of climate protection measures. The Kyoto Protocol included clear regulations on how greenhouse gases were to be reduced. It came into force in 2005 and was replaced by the Paris Agreement in 2021.

At the COP21 climate conference in Paris in 2015, the “Paris Climate Agreement” – also known as the “Paris Treaty” or the “Paris Agreement” – was adopted. There were 197 signatories to the agreement, with almost all of them ratifying the treaty. The agreement is a legally binding international treaty that forms part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Its aim is to limit global warming, preferably to 1.5°C and significantly below 2°C, compared to the pre-industrial level of 1750.

The 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) took place from 31 October to 12 November 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland. As at the previous Climate Change COPs, the focus was on limiting global warming and the measures needed to do so. As well as the important commitment to phase out the burning of coal, regulations were decided on for Article 6, which is relevant to carbon offset projects and the CO₂ markets.

In 2020, the Paris Agreement replaced the Kyoto Protocol. In the process, the framework conditions for the international carbon markets underwent change. “Paris” now allows parties to the agreement to cooperate directly with one another. This means that CO₂ reductions can be realised in one country, while the certificates for these reductions are transferred to another country and accounted for in that country’s national register.

The revised CO2 Act contains various measures to reduce Switzerland's CO2 emissions. Specifically, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to half of the 1990 level by 2030. This serves to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement as ratified by Switzerland. Because the law was subject to an optional referendum, the Swiss electorate will vote on it on 13 June 2021.

In Europe, North America, Australia and New Zeeland, national and regional emissions trading systems have been introduced to regulate industries that are particularly energy-intensive and emissions-intensive through a market mechanism. Emissions trading employs a marketplace to reduce emissions of harmful gases, which creates motivation for investing in climate-friendly technologies.

The circular economy refers to a systemic approach to longer and more efficient use of resources and thus to avoidance of waste and pollution. Resources are kept in the material cycle for as long as possible with the highest possible value. This means that fewer primary raw materials are consumed, and the more efficient production processes lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions. The approach of the circular economy is not the same as that of recycling. A distinction is drawn between the technical and the biological cycles.

Achieving the Paris 1.5°C target is no longer possible through mere reduction of man-made emissions and capturing and storing them using technological solutions. For this reason, nature-based solutions are increasingly coming to the fore, rooted in the protection, regeneration and sustainable management of ecosystems. Nature-based solutions are not only one of the most powerful tools to fight climate change, but they also offer a variety of other important advantages for people and nature, such as an unspoiled environment and the protection of biodiversity.

The ecological footprint was developed by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees in the mid-1990s and it has since been implemented as an indicator for sustainability. It represents the demands made on the ecosystem and natural resources.

The digital transformation has brought many benefits that also have a positive impact on the fight against climate change and reduce CO₂ emissions. However, the production, use and data transfer of digital devices causes more CO₂ emissions than one might expect. These emissions are summarised under the terms “digital CO₂ footprint” or “digital carbon footprint”.

“Net zero emission” by 2030 or 2050 is being demanded by the climate movement triggered by Greta Thunberg. So what exactly does “net zero emission” mean?

SBTs are a way for companies to define emissions reduction targets. Unlike traditional “potential-based targets”, SBTs follow a “top-down” approach: they focus on the quantity of emissions that needs to be reduced in order to meet the targets set out in the Paris Climate Agreement, limiting global warming to 1.5°C. In addition, the Net-Zero Standard, launched in October 2021, gives companies a science-based framework for defining ambitious and effective climate targets with a long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions.

To reach "zero net emissions” and limit global warming to 1.5°C, it is necessary to remove and permanently store CO₂ from the atmosphere. This is called Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). As it is the opposite of emissions, these practices or technologies are often described as achieving "negative emissions", "sinks" or "removals". There is a direct link between radically reducing CO₂ emissions and CDR: The earlier net zero emissions are achieved, the less CDR is necessary. Therefore, the projected amount of required CDR over the 21st century varies from 100 to 1,000 Gt CO₂.

The term CO₂ budget is intended to illustrate how much CO₂ we are allowed to create individually through our lifestyles if global warming is to be limited to 1.5 °C. By ratifying the Paris Agreement, Switzerland has set itself the goal of reducing its emissions to zero net, by 2100 at the latest, and limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. This means that each person in Switzerland must emit less than 0.6 tonnes of CO₂ per annum until 2100.

Sufficiency, often also referred to as frugality, starts with consumer behaviour. Based on the principle of "less is more", the general consumption of resources should be reduced to a level that can be reasonably sustained in the future, as the current distribution ratios for goods and resources are not only ecologically dangerous, but also internationally questionable.

Climate models are used together with emission scenarios to calculate the probable future climate, so-called climate projections. The climate models describe how the earth's climate functions, while the emission scenarios describe the impact of humans on the environment. If the climate models are combined with the emission scenarios, it is possible to predict with a certain amount of probability how the climate will be in the future.

CO₂ certificates represent the amount of emissions that are offset. A certificate corresponds to one ton of greenhouse gases.

Insetting refers to a company offsetting its emissions through a carbon offset project within its own value chain. In contrast to a typical carbon offset project, emissions are avoided, reduced or sequestered upstream or downstream within the company's own value chain.

Climate change caused by humans is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. True to myclimate’s motto “do your best, offset the rest”, it’s best to avoid creating CO₂emissions in the first place. However, due to the fact that the most important thing for the climate is to reduce the amount of emissions worldwide, unavoidable emissions can also be offset.

The myclimate climate protection projects reduce emissions by replacing fossil energy sources with renewable energy or by promoting energy-efficient technologies. High-quality climate protection projects also contribute to social, ecological and economic development in their respective regions.

CO₂ offsetting only achieves something if the payments are actually used directly for climate protection projects. As a non-profit foundation, myclimate guarantees that at least 80 percent of offsetting payments will be used directly in climate protection projects. The foundation requires the remaining amount (maximum 20 percent) to cover administration and internal costs.

myclimate invests exclusively in projects that deliver measurable and long-term success. Only emissions reductions that have actually been realised and can be proven over a longer contract term of 7 to 14 years are counted in energy projects. Offsetting payments are normally paid out to the supported projects once reductions are realised. The contribution amount depends on the volume of the project’s greenhouse gas reduction. Forestry projects are slightly different because they have a longer timeline of 30 to 50 years.

myclimate and myclimate Germany are charitable foundations and are therefore tax-exempt in Switzerland and Germany. All offset payments and donations to myclimate are tax-deductible.

The Foundation myclimate develops and operates various support programmes in Switzerland on behalf of the Foundation for Climate Protection and Carbon Offset KliK. These support programmes offer a financial incentive for the replacement of fossil energies, for example for overhauling heating systems or for alternative drive technologies. But where does the money for the KliK Foundation come from? These support programmes offer a financial incentive for the replacement of fossil energies, for example for overhauling heating systems or for the use of alternative climate-friendly technologies. Where does the money of the KliK Foundation come from?

The resolutions of the climate conference – COP26 – in Glasgow have brought greater clarity about implementation of the Paris Agreement. The importance of international cooperation in climate protection as well as the significance of market mechanisms and the voluntary contributions of business and private individuals were not only recognised, but strengthened through the robust rules planned. myclimate is monitoring the introduction and implementation of these rules, along with the development of the structures they require, and is actively involved in shaping these within the scope of its own possibilities. At the same time, myclimate is working with partners and customers so it can continue to make the greatest impact for climate protection globally and locally.