Until 22 October 2024, the German government is looking for emission credits to offset the greenhouse gas emissions of its employees' business trips and other measures.
Since the 18th legislative period (2014-2017), the German federal government has been offsetting business trips and journeys as well as events organised by the federal government and the federal administration by purchasing carbon credits. The offsetting relates to the climate impact of all business trips and journeys made by employees of the supreme and higher federal authorities and other directly subordinate authorities by plane or company car. The aim of offsetting is to compensate for the climate impact of the emissions in question by reducing emissions elsewhere. With this measure, the Federal Government is making an additional contribution to climate protection, fulfilling its role model function for active climate protection and setting an important example for the voluntary carbon market.
Since 2021, the German government has no longer used CDM certificates for greenhouse gas offsetting, as these do not fulfil the qualitative requirements of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The first tender for the purchase of credits from climate protection projects that are compatible with the rules of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement took place in 2022. This year's tender follows the same approach.
In addition to emissions from business trips and travel, the Federal Government has agreed that events organised by the Federal Administration, including those in the context of European or international presidencies and chairmanships, should be organised and held in a sustainable and, as far as possible, climate-neutral manner. Unavoidable emissions from participants' air travel must be offset. A further component of this procurement process is therefore to acquire the emission credits required for offsetting for federal events. In addition, the emission credits required for offsetting are to be procured for other projects of the Federal Administration. The UBA intends to acquire up to 616,145 reduction credits to offset all projects. Bids can be submitted for several projects and up to 80,000 certificates can be considered per project.
Further information and the opportunity to participate in the tender can be found here.