Shop climate-consciously
CO2-compensated products
Shopping at the Primeo Energie online shop is a completely CO2-compensated experience.
As the effects of climate change become increasingly apparent, we have taken steps to make our online shop more sustainable. In collaboration with our partner South Pole, we offer climate-compensated shopping - the best part is, we cover the full compensation costs of your ordered products. This means you shop entirely CO2-compensated with us, without any additional costs.
The CO2 emissions that occur over the entire life cycle of the products you purchase are compensated by us through investments in recognized climate protection projects of our partner South Pole. These various climate protection projects avoid greenhouse gas emissions or extract CO2 from the atmosphere and bind it. Moreover, these projects contribute overall to sustainable development and create added value for the local population, such as access to work, clean drinking water, or education.
Emissions calculations
Our partner South Pole has analyzed all products in the Primeo Energie online shop and determined the average CO2 emissions over the entire life cycle per product. To simplify the calculation, the products were divided into categories, for which an emission factor per kilogram was then calculated. All emissions that arise from raw material extraction, production, goods transport, sales, and distribution to customers, use, and disposal have been included in the calculation of the emission factors. This is also known as the "Cradle-To-Grave" principle, which represents the entire life cycle of the products.
South Pole is a leading provider of climate protection solutions with over 450 experts in more than 19 branches worldwide. For over a decade, South Pole has been helping public and private actors reduce their impact on the climate, minimize risks, and create value. South Pole is a science-based company, whose expertise ranges from project development and financing to data collection and climate risk analyses to climate-neutral products and green electricity certificates.
Projects
We compensate the emissions through various climate protection projects around the world, including the following projects:
Isangi Forest Project in Congo
This project is about protecting the rainforest ecosystems in the Congo Basin: 187,000 hectares of one of the most species-rich rainforests on earth are protected from deforestation. Forests play an important role as carbon sinks in combating climate change - if the region is deforested, this releases stored carbon and damages the biodiversity of the ecosystem. The project also contributes significantly to local poverty reduction by promoting sustainable economic opportunities and developing educational initiatives, thus giving remote communities in one of the poorest countries in the world opportunities for a better future.
Prony Wind Energy
Small island states are often considered "canaries in the coal mine" of climate change. Many of them are already experiencing concrete effects of climate change such as rising water levels and destructive storms. The wind farms in New Caledonia use world-class technology to generate renewable energy while addressing social and environmental problems.
Frequently asked questions
Why should the level of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere be reduced?
It is scientifically proven that increased proportions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere drive global warming. This, in turn, leads to extreme weather changes worldwide and threatens people's resources and habitats. Greenhouse gas emissions are mainly caused by the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or gas. These emissions also occur in the production and transport of products, such as those available in the Primeo Energie online shop. As part of the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, most countries in the world recognized the urgent need for climate protection measures: To keep the earth as a habitable planet and to continue to supply humanity, emissions worldwide must be drastically reduced.
How do climate protection projects work?
Climate protection projects are understood to be projects that reduce, prevent, or bind CO2 emissions. There are many different approaches to how emissions can be saved. For example, there are projects that actively protect threatened forests, plant new trees, replace fossil fuels with renewable energies, or use new and more efficient technologies to reduce emissions. In addition to the emission reductions, climate protection projects also have other positive effects and promote various UN-defined goals for sustainable development (Sustainable Development Goals). This promotes a long-term and permanent improvement in the living conditions of the local population.
How do CO2 certificates work?
When a climate protection project is developed that prevents or reduces CO2 emissions, a CO2 certificate ("Carbon Credit") is created for each ton of emissions saved. This requires certification of the project by internationally recognized standards. A Carbon Credit is a certificate that is equated with the reduction or avoidance of one ton of CO2, thereby compensating for caused emissions. The purchase of CO2 certificates is an investment in sustainable climate protection projects around the world, which could not be realized without this financing through Carbon Credits.
How important is the location of climate protection projects?
The CO2 content in the atmosphere is an international problem, which requires an international solution. Therefore, it does not matter where a climate protection project is located. Many of our projects are located in economically less developed countries, as more positive effects for the population can be achieved there through climate protection projects.
Shouldn't we reduce our own CO2 emissions instead of offsetting them elsewhere?
Emission reduction and compensation complement each other - according to the motto "Do your best, compensate the rest". To achieve the Paris climate goals, we must significantly reduce our CO2 emissions. At the same time, climate compensation allows us to support climate protection projects directly here and now, which can also contribute to achieving these goals. This makes particular sense because unavoidable emissions occur when shopping online. The decision to buy lies with the buyer himself. With compensation, we enable the purchase to be linked with a valuable contribution to climate protection.
