FAQ
What exactly am I offsetting?
You are offsetting the carbon emissions produced as a result of the average energy consumption of the selected product over a 15-year period. The average consumption is calculated by multiplying the product’s annual energy consumption by 15. The calculation is based on the annual energy consumption of appliances sold by V-ZUG (for the year 2021). Usage behaviour is based on internal calculations that draw on studies, eco-design guidelines and real-life data collected by the V-ZUG repair service.
How do I produce carbon emissions with my V-ZUG appliance?
To operate your V-ZUG appliance you consume electricity, and generating this electricity produces CO2 emissions. The amount of CO2 emitted varies depending on the type of electricity you buy from your energy supplier. Energy from non-renewable sources, such as coal-fired power plants, produces more carbon emissions than energy from renewable sources such as wind power.
What emissions factor does V-ZUG base my power consumption on?
To calculate your emissions, we use the average consumer power mix of the country in which you use the V-ZUG appliance. As a source, we usually use «Electricity Maps», an open source platform that provides electricity data including emission values for various regions of the world.
The country-specific values can be found in the table below.
For Switzerland, we refer to the values according to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and use the average swiss consumer power mix (128.0 g CO₂eq/kWh) or, if you buy a sustainable/renewable product from your energy supplier, the average swiss renewable power mix (15.7 g CO₂eq/kWh).
As corresponding emission values for renewable electricity are not available for all countries, we use the Swiss value for renewable consumer electricity (15.7 g CO₂eq/kWh) for this purpose.
| Country | Power mix1) (g CO2eq/kWh) |
Renewable power mix 3) (g CO2eq/kWh) |
Currency | Amount in local currency4) (Per tonne of CO2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 492 | 15.7 | AUD | 69 AUD |
| Austria | 112 | 15.7 | EUR | 43 EUR |
| Belgium | 137 | 15.7 | EUR | 43 EUR |
| China | 5822) | 15.7 | CNY | 324 CNY |
| Denmark | 129 | 15.7 | DKK | 320 DKK |
| France | 33 | 15.7 | EUR | 43 EUR |
| Germany | 329 | 15.7 | EUR | 43 EUR |
| Hong Kong | 1305) | 15.7 | HKD | 349 HKD |
| Italy | 271 | 15.7 | EUR | 43 EUR |
| Luxembourg | 244 | 15.7 | EUR | 43 EUR |
| Netherlands | 253 | 15.7 | EUR | 43 EUR |
| Singapore | 485 | 15.7 | SGD | 60 SGD |
| Switzerland | 1283) | 15.7 | CHF | 40 CHF |
| United Kingdom (UK) | 183 | 15.7 | GBP | 36 GBP |
Sources:
1) Electricity Maps (Consumption, 12 months average, reference date: November 2024, annually updated)
2) China: power sector carbon intensity 2023 | Statista
3) BAFU
4) Refinitiv (Reference date: November 2024, annually updated)
5) Our world in Data, Hongkong
What are the different power mixes?
For Switzerland: Electricity produced in Switzerland has low emissions because very little of it is generated using fossil fuels. However, the electricity consumed in Switzerland has higher emissions because the carbon emissions of imported power need to be taken into account. This means that carbon emissions are higher for consumed power than for generated power. The figures for the various power mixes in Switzerland are published on the website of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). You can find more information here.
Similarly, in all other markets, electricity produced is distinguished from electricity consumed (see information on «Electricity-Maps»).
How is my power consumption calculated?
The amount of energy consumed by your appliance is a theoretical average value and depends on the product category. For example, the figure for a washing machine (135 kWh/year) refers to 220 wash cycles per year with varying loads. For a dryer (183 kWh/year) it refers to 160 cycles and for a dishwasher (201 kWh/year), 280 cycles. A refrigerator (189 kWh/year) is assumed to be running continuously as it is always switched on, and for an oven (115 kWh/year) or steamer (74 kWh/year) the cooking times vary (100 uses lasting 40–45 minutes). For hobs (591 kWh/year) and range hoods (53 kWh/year), consumption depends on a combination of the duration and intensity of usage. The figures given are average values. They depend greatly on individual usage and your actual consumption will differ from the average.
What is a ‘best-in-class’ appliance?
If you have purchased a washing machine, dryer or dishwasher with a heat pump (V6000 model), you can select the ‘best-in-class’ option. These appliances are far below average in terms of energy and water consumption. In all other categories the difference between individual appliances is heavily dependent on usage and product design (especially in the case of refrigerators). The ‘best-in-class’ option is not therefore offered for these categories. Best-in-class values: washing machine (100 kWh/year), dryer (141 kWh/year), dishwasher (134 kWh/year).
What can I do apart from offsetting to help tackle climate change?
The most sustainable and climate-neutral kilowatt-hour of energy is the one that isn’t used at all! Using your appliances in an eco-friendly way makes the biggest difference. We have some useful hints on using household appliances in the most eco-friendly way possible. You can find more information here.
You can also support the transition away from fossil fuels by opting for renewable energy (contact your energy supplier) or generate your own electricity, for example by installing a photovoltaic system.
How is the price calculated and what happens with the money I pay for offsetting?
The price charged for offsetting one tonne of CO₂ in the V-Forest is CHF 40 (converted into the local currency at the current conversion rate, updated annually)). There is a lot of debate about the ‘right’ price for one tonne of CO₂ and it is a politically important topic. To make significant progress on climate protection, it’s a promising strategy and urgent requirement to set an appropriate price on emissions. In some cases this is already happening, for example in Switzerland’s CO₂ Act (which imposes a fossil fuel levy of CHF 120 per tonne of CO₂) and in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS, market price variable, EUR 80-100 per tonne of CO₂ (as of September 2023)).
All the money you pay for offsetting in the usage phase goes to the Ripa Gar Foundation (minus a standard market administration fee of 5%), which invests these earmarked funds in climate protection projects.
What does offsetting consist of?
It will take some time before the V-Forest carbon certificates can be directly used for offsetting. The trees need to grow before they can capture the required amount of carbon. Until then, the Ripa Gar Foundation is supporting another reforestation project in India and is also capturing the CO₂ tonne-for-tonne. The project is certified according to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and is listed on the UN Carbon Offset Platform. The required amounts of CO₂ have already been captured. This commitment means that your emissions are effectively offset twice.
What is the Ripa Gar Foundation?
Aim (excerpt from register of foundations): The aim of the foundation is to protect the natural environment through the support and implementation of rewilding projects, particularly the rewilding of Glen Lochay in Perthshire, Scotland, UK and any other areas with the objective of restoring these areas to their natural and original wild state, in which nature keeps itself in balance.
Over time, the objective is to minimise human intervention in these areas and limit them to creating the necessary conditions for nature to overcome the impacts of today’s reduced biodiversity and overexploitation. One important way in which this can be achieved is through reforestation projects using native trees and shrubs, projects to preserve and protect endangered native plant and animal species, and projects to encourage the return of endangered native fauna.
The aim of the foundation may also include the support of scientific involvement in rewilding projects and the publication and dissemination of scientific findings. The foundation operates in Switzerland and other countries. It may acquire land in Switzerland and other countries. Land may be acquired directly or indirectly. The foundation has no commercial objective and operates on a not-for-profit basis.