How do carbon offsets work? Here’s what you should know before buying one.

Marisa de Belloy, CEO of Cool Effect, tells Mic it’s important to look for “additionality” with any offsets, which means those projects or actions wouldn’t happen anyway, without the offset funding. “Look for confirmation that it is additional by asking for due diligence documents and transparency in pricing,” she says. “Understand where your money is going when you purchase the offset and how much is going to any broker or middleman.”