What is meant by... Carbon off-setting is a prerogative of the rich?

Answer 1

Companies and individuals may plan to reduce the effect of their carbon footprint by carbon offsetting.
Examples are:

• planting trees
• paying to build a small dam in a river to produce hydroelectricity for a village so people there don't have to use diesel generators that produce carbon dioxide.

By this means they reduce their carbon footprint.

"A prerogative of the rich" means that rich people can afford to do this. Poor people can't. If a poor man has an old polluting truck that he uses to earn his living, he can't offset his carbon dioxide emissions with money.

Answer 2

This statement suggests that the ability to offset carbon emissions through voluntary actions, such as paying for tree planting or renewable energy projects, is typically only accessible to those with higher incomes due to associated costs. It implies that individuals with fewer financial resources may not have the same capacity to mitigate their carbon footprint in this way.