The situation
Today any economic activity causes CO₂ emissions. CO₂ (carbon dioxide) is particularly a product of incineration of carbonaceous substances. It is described as greenhouse gas (GHG).

Greenhouse gases play an important role in the energy balance of the earth. They prevent the earth cooling. But the greenhouse gases, especially CO₂, have greatly increased due to the combustion of fossil carbon during the last 150 years. Thus, the atmosphere heats up constantly. This may have far-reaching consequences all over the world. The beginning of climate change is already now responsible for the increasing occurrence of storms, floods, melting of glaciers, etc.

The climate protection policy
The first official steps towards climate precaution were taken at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio in 1992 by drawing up a Framework Convention on Climate Change. In the follow-up conference in Kyoto in 1997, legally binding commitments to limit CO₂ emissions were formulated. The industrial countries are to reduce greenhouse gases by 5 percent by 2012.

The EU (European Union) committed itself to a reduction of 8 percent. Germany has promised to reduce CO₂ emissions by 21 percent, in accordance with its share of European emission reduction as stipulated in the Kyoto Protocol. The intention is to stabilize the rising of the average global temperature on a level, which is not higher than 2 degrees Celsius above that of the pre-industrial time. The consequences of a climate change could thus be limited to a certain extent.

Compensation for CO₂ emissions
The climate protection model of the Printing and Media Industries Federations provides for compensation of those CO₂ emissions, which are unavoidable in print production. Special emphasis is placed on energy efficiency. One’s own efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions must not slacken. However, compensating for CO₂ emissions, meaning investing in trustworthy and efficient climate protection projects, is also an important instrument for voluntary and not state-regulated climate protection.

With ARKTIK, the Printing and Media Industries Federations have found an experienced and reliable partner for its climate protection model. ARKTIK supports top-quality climate protection projects and facilitates subscribing to low-denomination, job-related emissions reduction certificates for print production.

The CO₂ reduction certificates offered within the framework of the climate protection model for compensation of CO₂ emissions are invested above all in projects that promote renewable energies. Here great importance is placed on verified climate protection projects with a high standard of quality that, besides CO₂ reduction, also improve economic and social conditions in the project regions.

CO₂ reduction projects of the printing industry’s climate protection model
To compensate for greenhouse gas emissions within the framework of the climate protection model, certificates are exclusively generated from the high-quality Gold Standard projects. The customers decide which project they wish to support with their compensation.