The Juneau Carbon Offset Fund has wrapped up its 2nd full year of very successful operations. Since mid-2019, Renewable Juneau’s offset fund has been helping lower income families not only save on heating bills, but reduce the size of their individual carbon footprints. Revenue raised through web store offset sales, donations, and grants has now aided 24 families in leaping the high upfront cost hurdle needed to save money with modern renewable energy heating. These 24 Juneau Carbon Offset Fund carbon-elimination projects have removed the need for more than 12,000 annual gallons of heating oil, annually reducing CO2 emissions by nearly 122 tons.
Recently, JCOF sent out dozens of carbon offset certificates like the sample above. Each certificate informs the carbon offset purchaser of the amount of carbon dioxide that they helped to eliminate and provides a few examples of real-world impacts of this CO2 elimination. The Renewable Juneau Board and the Juneau Carbon Offset Fund advisory committee give our sincere thanks for the support of the roughly 100 individuals and businesses that chose to offset some of their carbon output with us in 2021.
It has been both an exciting and challenging year for the Fund. Some 2021 highlights include:
- Installed an additional nine air source heat pumps in Juneau lower income family homes
- Began offsetting Coeur Alaska Kensington Mine staff transport emissions, nearly 1200 tons worth
- With Coeur Alaska Kensington Mine’s assistance, have begun to pursue international certification of the Fund
- Sold $52,500 in carbon offsets and received over $39,000 in donations
- Began offsetting the travel emissions from summer guests of Pack Creek Bear Tours
- Formed an educational offsetting partnership with the Tidelines Institute
- Provided offset services to 78 separate customers – Juneau 89% / AK 9% / US 2%
- Won an $11,000 grant from the Avista Foundation
- Won a $10,000 grant from Norwegian Cruise Lines
- Supported the carbon reduction efforts of Kensington Mine, Pack Creek Bear Tours, Sentinel Coffee, Coppa, the Leighty Foundation, and Bosworth Botanical Consulting
- Partnered with Alaska Heat Smart for heat pump energy assessments of JCOF applicant homes
It is our hope that 2022 will see an increased number of carbon-eliminating heat pump installations. With your continued dedication to a smaller footprint and to the Juneau Carbon Offset Fund, we can make it happen. We hope that you will share our work with your friends and neighbors and encourage them to first and foremost reduce their carbon footprints, prior to offsetting the remainder. And, if you know a homeowner who may qualify for a JCOF heat pump, by all means, send them our way. They can apply right here! And, if you feel it is time for you to offset some of your unavoidable carbon impact, you can do so here!
