Carbon offsets and credits in the context of Carbon emission trading

A carbon tax is a tax levied on the carbon emissions from producing goods and services. Carbon taxes are intended to make visible the hidden social costs of carbon emissions. They are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by essentially increasing the price of fossil fuels. This both decreases demand for goods and services that produce high emissions and incentivizes making them less carbon-intensive. When a fossil fuel such as coal, petroleum, or natural gas is burned, most or all of its carbon is converted to CO₂. Greenhouse gas emissions cause climate change. This negative externality can be reduced by taxing carbon content at any point in the product cycle.

A carbon tax as well as carbon emission trading is used within the carbon price concept. Two common economic alternatives to carbon taxes are tradable permits with carbon credits and subsidies. In its simplest form, a carbon tax covers only CO₂ emissions. It could also cover other greenhouse gases, such as methane or nitrous oxide, by taxing such emissions based on their CO₂-equivalent global warming potential. Research shows that carbon taxes do often reduce emissions. Many economists argue that carbon taxes are the most efficient (lowest cost) way to tackle climate change. As of 2019, carbon taxes have either been implemented or are scheduled for implementation in 25 countries. 46 countries have put some form of price on carbon, either through carbon taxes or carbon emission trading schemes.

Carbon accounting (or greenhouse gas accounting) is a framework of methods to measure and track how much greenhouse gas (GHG) an organization emits. It can also be used to track projects or actions to reduce emissions in sectors such as forestry or renewable energy. Corporations, cities and other groups use these techniques to help limit climate change. Organizations will often set an emissions baseline, create targets for reducing emissions, and track progress towards them. The accounting methods enable them to do this in a more consistent and transparent manner.

The main reasons for GHG accounting are to address social responsibility concerns or meet legal requirements. Public rankings of companies, financial due diligence and potential cost savings are other reasons. GHG accounting methods help investors better understand the climate risks of companies they invest in. They also help with net zero emission goals of corporations or communities. Many governments around the world require various forms of reporting. There is some evidence that programs that require GHG accounting help to lower emissions. Markets for buying and selling carbon credits depend on accurate measurement of emissions and emission reductions. These techniques can help to understand the impacts of specific products and services. They do this by quantifying their GHG emissions throughout their lifecycle (carbon footprint).

Allbirds is an American public benefit company originating in New Zealand that sells footwear and apparel, co-founded in 2015 by Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, and is known for their minimalist designs, association with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, and Silicon Valley. Its business model has primarily relied on direct-to-consumer commerce through its website and brick and mortar stores, although it has also sold products through some third-party retailers.

Allbirds was founded through an initial fundraising of US$119,000 on Kickstarter and has based its corporate identity on sustainability. Since the 2020s, the company has been criticized by legal scholars for greenwashing after a case about their reporting of carbon offsets was dismissed. Allbirds went public on November 3, 2021, but experienced poor sales soon afterwards; executive turnover followed the company through the end of 2024. On April 8, 2024, the company received a non-compliance notice from Nasdaq for performing below $1 for over 30 consecutive days.