A Carbon Offset is a tradable credit representing one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent avoided or removed elsewhere, purchased to compensate for an organization's own emissions. Projects include reforestation, renewable energy and direct air capture, and quality depends on additionality and permanence. Data-center operators use offsets for residual emissions, but standards bodies increasingly discourage relying on them in place of direct decarbonization.
Category: Sustainability & Metrics · Subcategory: Energy & Carbon · Part of the AIDC Technical Terminology reference.