Carbon Offset Fuel

Frequently Asked Questions

• Does offsetting only compensate for CO₂? What about my other emissions?

  Carbon offsets are calculated by using the CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) conversion factor for a given fuel type and quantity. CO₂e is a metric that converts the overall impact of all greenhouse gases (which includes CO₂, and NOx) into an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide with the same global warming potential. All liquid fuel grades have a CO₂e conversion factor. So, while offsets are measured and calculated in carbon dioxide terms, the carbon offsets calculation does include the global warming impact of all greenhouse gases associated with the fuel. You can try our carbon calculator to see how this works.

  But when you buy carbon offset fuel from Watson Fuels, we help take care of this detail for you. A proportion of the price you pay for each carbon offset fuel purchase goes towards projects that compensation for the overall carbon impact of the fuel you use and quantity you purchase.

• What is Net Zero?

  In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to pass laws committing it to bring all Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions to Net Zero by 2050. Net Zero effectively means that the sum of GHGs put into the atmosphere minus those removed equals zero.

  The terms ‘Carbon Neutral’ and ‘Net Zero’ are often used interchangeably , and typically mean the same thing. However, Net Zero is different from Gross Zero, which means eliminating or preventing all GHG emissions in the first place. While this is clearly the ultimate goal – all major economies and organisations are now, or soon will be, taking steps to reduce emissions and cut carbon – Gross Zero is not yet a realistic target across all sectors and all applications.

  Instead, Net Zero allows for unavoidable emissions – such as those from transport and heating applications, for which zero-carbon alternatives may not yet be viable – to be offset through carbon offsetting, or captured through carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies.

• Do I have to commit to a specific volume? Is there a minimum order quantity?

  With Carbon Offset Fuel from Watson Fuels, you can choose to offset individual fuel orders, meaning you can offset 500 litres to 36,000 litres each time you place an order. The only one caveat: you can’t offset a proportion of an individual fuel order, meaning you must either select to buy Offset Fuel (and therefore offset all of that fuel order) or not.

• I want to offset a larger quantity in one go. How can I do this?

  For customers looking to source offsets for a larger fuel consumption in one go (e.g. “I want to offset last year’s fuel volumes”), we can also help. For this route, our colleagues at World Kinect Energy Services can help provide a consultative approach, helping you source the most suitable projects to match your business’ goals.

• Can I choose offsets from a specific project?

  For our Carbon Offset Fuel products, our expert team at World Kinect Energy Services take care of sourcing, and procure offsets from a variety of verified worldwide offset projects. You won’t be able to select your funds to go to a specific offset project, but rather you’ll be contributing to one of a number of projects within our carbon offset project portfolio. Bundling projects in this way allows us to maintain our competitive price point, as well as ensuring that we’re contributing only to global carbon offset projects that meet the strictest international standards and which drive positive global change.

• Will I be buying a different fuel?

  No. If you select Carbon Offset Fuel, the fuel grade itself is completely unchanged – you’ll simply pay a small premium to compensate for the carbon impact of the fuel. Watson Fuels can offer Carbon Offset Fuel products to cover all grades of liquid fuel we sell and deliver. That means our domestic customers can select, for example, Carbon Offset Premium Kerosene to be able to continue to receive our higher-grade heating oil, while also offsetting the carbon footprint.

• Am I buying a tree?

  Not exactly. By choosing Carbon Offset Fuel, a proportion of the price you pay is contributing to a variety of projects that will offset the carbon dioxide equivalent of your fuel order. While our approved projects do include forestry initiatives, they also include renewable energy projects (such as wind and solar) from across the world. So, by carbon offsetting you’re not specifically planting a tree, but you are offsetting equivalent to the carbon impact of your fuel usage.

• Why are the carbon projects you source from not in the UK?

  As an international organisation, our colleagues at World Kinect Energy Services help us source offsets from a variety of projects around the globe. Crucially, we only source from projects that meet the strictest international standards, and which contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals we support. While that may eventually include us sourcing from UK projects, as the UK is a relatively small country the number of available projects is limited and can therefore be more expensive.

• How do carbon offsets help us achieve Net Zero? Wouldn’t it be better to actually reduce emissions rather than certificate them?

  We always recommend starting by reducing fuel usage where possible, through efficiency initiatives and projects. We’ve been doing this ourselves as part of our own carbon reduction plan. But beyond this, for many homes, farms and businesses, there is often no single solution to getting to Net Zero emissions. Lower and zero-carbon fuel options and alternative fuel technologies do exist, but they are often prohibitively expensive or difficult to source. Carbon offsets are recognised as a legitimate route to bridge the gap, and an economical interim measure while other innovations are developed for the medium term.