Offset yourDigital EmissionsIn Real-time
Why it matters
Everything we do online generates carbon emissions — from the devices used to the energy required to send information through network infrastructure and data centres. And even though the individuals' footprint can be quite small, when you add up the 4.66 billion Internet users, it's a huge driver of climate change.
How it Works
Monitor Usage
Offset Mode monitors your browsing, streaming, and downloading data.
Calculate Footprint
It then calculates the amount of carbon your digital habits emit into the real world.
Plant Trees
It then tells you how much
of a donation to Tree Canada
is needed to offset your
digital carbon footprint.
Start offsetting your
Digital Footprint
Add Offset Mode to Chrome to start tracking your digital footprint — and learn how much of a donation to Tree Canada would be required to offset it.
It's free to install and micro-donations can be made directly through Offset Mode. Depending where you live, and the type of energy your region uses, the cost to offset your digital footprint could be as little as a couple cents per day — a small price to pay to combat climate change.
Tips to reduce your footprint
Stream in SD
Lower the resolution of your videos to keep the strain on data centres low.
Ditch the GIFS
Emails with GIFs may be fun, but the bigger the email, the bigger your footprint.
Choose a Conscious Cloud
If you use cloud-based storage, check to see if your provider runs on renewable energy.
FAQ
Offset Mode uses the International Energy Agency assumption of .23 kWh generated per GB transferred, then multiplies that by the carbon generated per kWh in the user's region — this number can vary greatly depending on how clean a region's power source is. We then assume that a single $5 tree will offset 21 kg of CO2 over an average 5-year period when the tree is sequestering a high amount of carbon to arrive at the donation needed to offset the user's online activity.
Donations will vary greatly depending on both how much data you use and where in the world you're located. This is because electricity generated from high-carbon sources can cause over 70x the emissions as electricity generated from low-carbon sources. However, the average Canadian household might only expect to donate a few dollars a month - a small price to pay to offset your digital footprint.
Offset Mode does not store, track, or sell any user data.
A micro-donation is a form of charitable donation that is small in the amount donated. In the case of Offset Mode this could mean as little as pennies per day, or as high as dollars per day. But when everyone acts together, these micro-donations can make a huge difference in the fight against climate change.
Yes. A factor that can dramatically affect your donation is the electrical mix of your region. If you're in a region where electricity is produced from renewable sources, such as wind, solar, or hydro, your digital carbon footprint will be much smaller than Internet users in regions where electricity is generated from fossil fuels. But, if you keep using the Internet, eventually you'll see your donation amount tick up.
No. Offset Mode requires a user to opt in and submit a payment form to donate. If you're simply interested in seeing what your footprint is, Offset Mode also works as an educational tool.
Your donations will go towards Tree Canada's National Greening Program, a carbon compensation and mass seedling planting program in every region across Canada. Tree Canada conducts 1-, 2- and 5-year survival assessments of all planting sites to ensure that trees are growing and will replant sites where the survival rate is below a certain threshold.
An individual's footprint may be small, but when you consider the 4.6 billion daily Internet users, the collective footprint is massive. If we all do our part, we can fight climate change together.
Yes. You will automatically receive a tax receipt when you make a donation of $25 or more. Please contact our development team directly with any questions.
