The Cambodia Water Purification Project – Carbon Offset Programs with EcoCart

At EcoCart, we’ve always been dedicated to reducing and offsetting carbon emissions and helping customers and brands offset their carbon footprints. Through our Chrome extension and Shopify app, we support over a dozen carbon offset projects all around the world that protect vulnerable ecosystems and communities while reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

But what do these carbon offset projects actually do? That depends on the project. While all EcoCart projects help reduce and offset carbon emissions, each project is a little different and supports a different community in various categories such as health, water, and economic development, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

For example, the Cambodia Water Purification Project, a carbon offset project located in Khum Longvek, Cambodia, helps residents of Cambodia have access to clean, potable water. Due to a lack of clean water, families often have to boil their water to make it drinkable, which creates unhealthy air and carbon emissions, which is bad for the environment and creates an unhealthy living situation. Boiling water can lead to indoor air pollution, especially because they burn wood to boil their water. This is harmful to the lungs and can have deathly long-term effects.

To reduce and offset these carbon emissions, the Cambodia Water Purification Project provides residents with ceramic water purifiers! These purifiers allow residents to filter their water without using fuel, saving households an average of $14 USD a year. Residents no longer have to gather or purchase wood for fuel, which in turn protects the already vulnerable Cambodian forests. This is aligned with the UN goals of climate action and life on land.

These water filters are also locally made, creating more business and new jobs in the region. The project aims to distribute 300,000 water filters over a period of seven years which will aid in Cambodia’s economic growth over time, an additional UN goal. Larger forests and less wood burning also help reduce the amount of carbon in the air – this project, in particular, reduces 90,000 tons of carbon emissions every year! This project supports the sustainable development goals by providing better health, cleaner air, and clean water.

This project specifically is Gold Standard verified. Carbon offset projects that are Gold Standard verified have been rigorously reviewed and assessed, both in planning and how well they’ve been able to sustain their work. Projects must be continued for a long period of time and monitored for how much work they are actually able to achieve, as well as how well they’ve adhered to strict policies. Only by being approved by several standards and groups can carbon offset projects be Gold Standard verified.

By using the EcoCart Chrome extension, or adding the EcoCart plugin to your online store, you are able to support the Cambodia Water Purification Project and other carbon offset programs and projects like it in places like Mexico, Indonesia, and Brazil. EcoCart ensures all projects are carefully vetted and verified by established environmental nonprofits like the Gold Standard, VERRA, and the Climate Action Reserve. Over 90% of each dollar goes directly to these projects, which are scientifically proven to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Each project targets a specific community and ensures the people of those communities benefit long-term.

To date, EcoCart has been able to offset over 25 million pounds of carbon emissions – and that’s just the beginning. With EcoCart, every purchase can go towards carbon offset projects like this one that actively work to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and protect communities around the world.