Westchester Action Plan, 2008 - Westchester County Government

Purchase Carbon Offsets
Consider purchasing carbon offsets. The Task
Force recommends that businesses, private educational
institutions and households consider purchasing offsets
for GHG emissions from transportation. Some
transportation requirements such as air travel do not
lend themselves to easy substitutes. In cases such as
these, carbon offsets can be purchased to offset the
emissions associated with travel. Some organizations
even purchase offsets for meetings and conferences.
Carbon offsets are avoided or
mitigated emissions that can be
purchased to offset actual
emissions. For example, a tree
farm can sequester carbon and
sell the resulting reduction in
CO 2 to offset the emissions
associated with jet travel.
Numerous vendors of offsets, both non-profit and for-profit, can be identified on the
internet. Since these programs are voluntary, reliability and quality of offsets may vary. At
a minimum, only vendors with third party verification of offsets should be considered.
Substitute Virtual Technology
Consider substituting virtual technology for travel. When used properly, information
and communication technology can eliminate the need for travel. For example, an
investment in video conferencing equipment can allow an organization to hold virtual
meetings whose quality approximates face-to-face meetings. GeSI xi , the Global e-
Sustainability Initiative within the Information and Communications Technology Sector, in
cooperation with the United Nations, is developing, a methodology to calculate and track
emissions reductions associated with the use of the technology produced by the sector.
Funding these Actions
Take advantage of the federal government tax credit for the purchase of some advanced
technology vehicles. A list of qualifying vehicles and forms to claim the credit can be found
at the IRS website xii . Even federally tax exempt organizations such as schools and
government may be able to take advantage of this credit by negotiating a price reduction
with the seller. The seller will then take the tax credit.
Take advantage of employer programs to allow employees to set aside pretax income to
pay for mass transit. Such programs make use of the Qualified Transportation Fringe
Benefit in the IRS Code.
Take advantage of other funding available through the Federal Transportation
Administration xiii (FTA) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Specifically, the FTA
and FHWA offers many options for funding and grants through the Safe, Accountable,
Attachment 6: Transportation
Westchester Action Plan, 2008 6-6