As global citizens of the 21st century, we are all responsible for the sustainability of our world. Yet the way we produce and consume energy can’t be sustained. From a combination of transportation and electricity consumption, the average European generates 10 tons of carbon dioxide every year – equivalent to consuming 21 barrels of oil – and the average American generates approximately 20 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year – equivalent to consuming more than 2,000 gallons of gas. And this contributes directly to climate change, which has a devastating impact on ecosystems and communities.

Although not everyone can choose where they live and how they commute to work everyday, we can still collectively take action to make up for factors out of our control.

In Malawi, farmers affiliated with our Trees of Hope program are growing trees that sequester CO2 emissions – carbon that’s then valued and sold to us in the form of carbon credits. When you purchase these carbon credits, you offset your own carbon footprint while at the same time strengthening local economies. Fifty percent of your purchase goes directly to supporting these farmers by providing them with income that they can use to uplift their families and strengthen their communities. The rest goes back into the Trees of Hope Program so that more farmers in more places can benefit.

Since 2007, more than 2,000 farmers have joined the Trees of Hope project in Malawi, and have planted more than 2 million trees, sequestering more than 200,000 tons of CO2. Learn more about the Trees of Hope project in Malawi.