Eva Rocke is the University of Montana’s Sustainability Director. She says reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions, like heating a building, is easier than trying to cut indirect ones. Like the fossil fuels emitted by cars driving to and from campus each day.
"When it comes to emissions resulting from individual choices and behavior over which we have limited control as university decision makers, then we’re left with relatively few options on the table. And carbon offsets are one of those options."
Rocke’s office created a carbon neutral commuter program. It’s an optional membership staff and students can purchase for $18 along with their parking permit. The program is entirely voluntary, no state dollars or student tuition dollars are used.
UM’s Office of Sustainability matches those memberships and then uses the money to purchase offsets from a Montana nonprofit called the Well Done Foundation.
"With the funds that we have raised through the membership, we were able to purchase 40 metric tons equivalent of CO2 worth of offsets last year," Rocke says.
The money helps the foundation buy and cap abandoned oil and gas wells. These old wells emit planet-warming gasses like methane.
Curtis Shuck runs the foundation, and says the emissions stop once a well is capped.
"We measure before multiple times, and then we measure afterwards, once the well is plugged. Think of it like this: It's gas on, gas off. So that's how we determine what the methane reduction is."
The methane reductions are then converted into carbon dioxide equivalents that UM can count as offsets.
Shuck says the offsets UM purchased were used to help cap wells near Shelby. Forty-five people opted into the carbon neutral membership in the fall of 2025. Rocke says she hopes the word gets out and more commuters sign on.
