Behind Our Carbon Offsetting Approach

Turning a profit is important, but at Mangrove our purpose goes beyond that. As a certified B Corp, we’re committed to balancing environmental and social responsibility with financial sustainability. One way we live that value is by taking responsibility for our carbon footprint, specifically how we go about offsetting it.

That’s why we partner with Offset Alliance, a values-aligned B Corp led by thoughtful people offering a considered approach to measuring and offsetting emissions. Since 2021, they’ve helped us better understand and reduce our impact, supporting projects that deliver real environmental benefits. Working with co-founder Henkel Smith has deepened our understanding of what truly impactful climate action looks like. 

Why traditional carbon calculators fall short

There are many tools online promising to calculate and offset your carbon footprint with just a few clicks. And while undoubtedly convenient, these platforms can lack nuance, accuracy, and transparency.

“Free (and even many low-cost) carbon calculators exist for one of two reasons,” Henkel explains. “Either to provide a high-level estimate of your carbon footprint or a quick calculation that can be converted into a transaction—typically purchasing an amount of carbon offsets. In both cases, they are highly simplified in order to be approachable.” The problem? This simplification can lead to misleading or incomplete data. Without detailed insight into the specifics of your business operations, these calculators risk missing the true climate impact of your business. “To truly understand your climate impact from operations and do something meaningful to offset it or reduce it, you have to start with real data,” Henkel says.

Rather than relying on generic, one-size-fits-all tools, we work with Offset Alliance because they take a hands-on approach, collaborating with their clients to assess emissions using detailed, relevant inputs. For us, this means tracking everything from our team’s energy use and digital tools (like online subscriptions and internet connections) to business travel.

Because Offset Alliance works specifically with service-based companies in North America, they’re able to define clear, relevant boundaries for what should—and shouldn’t—be measured. This industry-specific focus helps capture the details that matter most to businesses like ours, resulting in a far more accurate footprint and more effective ways to reduce or offset our emissions.

Supporting verified projects that make a difference

Offsetting our carbon emissions doesn’t erase our environmental impact. As Henkel says, “There isn’t such a thing as washing your impact away.” But what partnering with Offset Alliance does allow us to do is support projects that are actively reducing or removing emissions in meaningful and lasting ways.

Offset Alliance only works with projects that meet strict standards. Each one is verified by a trusted carbon registry—a nonprofit organization that checks whether the project actually reduces emissions and follows approved protocols. For example, one project might involve a manufacturing plant installing equipment to destroy harmful gases that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.

To make sure the offsets are legitimate, Offset Alliance only buys credits from projects that are “additional,” meaning the emissions reductions wouldn’t have happened without the project. Every credit has a unique serial number and is tracked and retired publicly, so there’s a clear record that it’s been used and can’t be sold again.

Transparency is equally important. Offset Alliance’s process is clearly communicated, with project sourcing and evaluation standards available to review online. They also ensure a full audit trail of offsets retired on behalf of each company. As Henkel points out, “There’s no audit trail with many platforms—you don’t know if offsets were actually retired and permanently removed from the marketplace.”

Permanent retirement is crucial; if offsets aren’t properly retired, they could be resold or double-counted, undermining their impact. By working with Offset Alliance, we can be sure that each credit is retired once and for all, and that our emissions are genuinely offset.

Doing better for the environment, together

The work Offset Alliance does is about more than offering companies a solution to offset their carbon and helping them feel better about their environmental impact. Their work is about making a real difference for the environment. Our continued partnership is a reflection of our team’s broader commitment to transparency, accountability, and care for people and the planet.

We’re proud to be Offset Climate Certified® through Offset Alliance and encourage other businesses to explore what’s possible when you partner with values-aligned organizations. Curious how this connects to our broader values? Learn more about what it means to be a B Corp at Mangrove. ®

Photo by Richard Bulrton on Unsplash