Enterprise Green Communities Offset Fund
Offsetting Our Environmental Impact
Many of our daily activities result in the burning of fossil fuels, which generates carbon dioxide emissions, a primary cause of global warming. Our Offset Fund gives organizations and individuals the opportunity to offset their carbon emissions by helping to create carbon-reducing homes for low-income families.Learn about the first affordable housing communities to be funded by the Offset Fund.
Why Choose Enterprise's Offset Fund?
- Residential buildings account for 22% of all U.S. carbon emissions, totaling over one billion tons a year.
- Multifamily buildings house our nation’s poorest residents who bear double the energy burden.
- One hundred percent of your offset will support the development of healthy, energy-efficient affordable homes for people in need in the U.S.
- Offsets purchased are additional, retired, verified and monitored by a third-party and for ten years.
How Can I Offset my Carbon Footprint?
- Calculate your carbon footprint.
- Multiply your carbon footprint by $20.
- Purchase an offset from energy efficient affordable housing.
How Does the Fund Work?
- You or your organization purchases an offset from the Enterprise Green Communities Offset Fund.
- Enterprise finds a developer who can use your payment to make additional carbon emission reductions to the affordable housing they are already designing.
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| Developers design green affordable homes to provide health, economic and environmental benefits to low-income people. | Enterprise educates developers on options for an even greener project by tapping the voluntary carbon market. | Developer revises the project to be more energy efficient, leading to lower carbon emissions. |
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| Enterprise's Green Communities Offset Fund pays for the projected additional emissions reductions (offsets). Payment helps make the carbon reduction project improvements. | Developer commits not to sell the offset to anyone else for ten years. | Third-party certifies actual levels of emissions reductions in projects after they are built and annually for ten years. |
How Are Carbon Emissions Reduced in Affordable Housing?
Increasing the energy efficiency of affordable homes reduces the amount of electricity, natural gas and fuel oil needed. Less carbon dioxide is released, and the homes remain energy efficient—and less carbon intensive—for many years.
Enterprise Ensures Program Integrity
Stringent accounting and monitoring standards that follow internationally recognized methods for both new construction and rehabilitation allow Enterprise to ensure all offsets are:
Real |
Permanent |
Additional |
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Resulting in the expected carbon emission reductions |
Not a temporary reduction in carbon emissions | Above and beyond "business as usual" |
Cut carbon emissions and help low-income families enjoy greener homes.
Purchase an offset today.
Download the Enterprise Green Communities Offset Fund Fact Sheet.