As consumers, we are becoming more and more conscious of the consequences of our actions for the environment. Everything we buy leaves a trace, and we are buying ethics, rather than products, a little more each day. This explains the increase in companies that are championing more sustainable production.
One of the traces we leave behind is our carbon footprint i.e. the amount of greenhouse gases emitted either as a direct or indirect consequence of our activities, which is measured in tonnes of CO2. Our personal carbon footprint is the carbon dioxide emitted during the production of goods and services that we use in our day to day lives. Even the most eco-conscious person will have a considerable carbon footprint.
We are all aware of the emissions produced by energy consumption in our home or the transport that we use, but few of us are aware of the emissions that come from the production of the clothes we wear or the food we eat every day.
DO Black, the card that measures your carbon footprint
How can we measure our carbon footprint? Swedish mobile banking company Doconomy has tried to answer this question by launching a credit card that tracks the CO2 emissions of your purchases to help you reduce your impact on the climate by shrinking your carbon footprint.
You just have to use the DO Black card when paying for something and an app will measure the CO2 generated by your transaction. The card itself is an example of how to reduce carbon footprints, as it is biodegradable and printed using ink made from particles obtained from air pollution. DO Black users also receive information about projects certified by the UN for offsetting their carbon emissions.
If these incentives aren’t enough for you, Doconomy offers an even more radical option: blocking the card when your purchases exceed a “reasonable” limit of carbon emissions for the year. This limit is calculated depending on the country you live in and the amount of carbon that each citizen is allowed to “emit” in order to reach the objectives for the year 2030.
If you need help when it comes to making more sustainable purchases, head to Escaparate #PorElClima, a platform that tells you about companies that are producing zero emissions or that offset their greenhouse gas emissions.
