Frequently Asked Questions

What are Carbon Offsets, how does this Mxenergy program work?

A carbon offset is a financial instrument aimed at a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon offsets are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO₂e) and may represent six primary categories of greenhouse gases. One carbon offset represents the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases.

There are two markets for carbon offsets. In the larger, compliance market, companies, governments, or other entities buy carbon offsets in order to comply with caps on the total amount of carbon dioxide they are allowed to emit. In 2006, about $5.5 billion of carbon offsets were purchased in the compliance market, representing about 1.6 billion metric tons of CO₂e reductions.

In the much smaller, voluntary market, individuals, companies, or governments purchase carbon offsets to mitigate their own greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, electricity use, and other sources. For example, an individual might purchase carbon offsets to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions caused by personal air travel. In 2008, about $705 million of carbon offsets were purchased in the voluntary market, representing about 123.4 million metric tons of CO₂e reductions.

Offsets are typically achieved through financial support of projects that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the short- or long-term. The most common project type is renewable energy, such as wind farms, biomass energy, or hydroelectric dams. Others include energy efficiency projects, the destruction of industrial pollutants or agricultural byproducts, destruction of landfill methane, and forestry projects.

How many trees does it take to offset transportation, a home, your lifestyle? So, how much does one tree offset for carbon dioxide or green house gas emissions?

An oak tree in Midwest absorbs a different amount of CO₂ than a palm tree in the Southwest and Florida. The unit of measure for carbon credits or CO₂ offsets is tonne of CO₂. One of key aspect to the offset of CO₂ is the age of the tree as older trees offset far greater amounts of green house gases than a brand new tree. Let’s first look at the offset of different trees. A twenty-five year old maple tree absorbs 1.1kg or 0.0011 tonnes per year of CO₂. So, over 25 years you would need 36 maple trees to offset one tonne of CO₂. The average person emits 26 tonnes of CO₂ for their carbon footprint. A 25 year old pine tree absorbs 6.82kg or 0.00682 tonnes of CO₂ per year. Based on the above math of this tree over 25 years, you would only need 6 trees to offset one tone of CO₂.

What am I paying for?

You are buying carbon offsets that are registered with the CCX from Valleywood Inc. There is an extensive compliance process that takes place in determining that these tree’s are planted and these particular tree’s will be on the ground for a length of years. Your purchase of carbon offsets are for a year’s worth of CO₂ emissions

Are the trees planted in my state?

These tree’s are planted primarily in Georgia by ValleyWood; but they may be planted anywhere in the country.