Can Small Green Acts Add Up to Carbon Credits?

We’re all familiar with the mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle” when it comes to living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. But what if all those small, green acts you do each day could be converted into a commodity with monetary value? The idea of generating carbon credits from aggregated individual behavioral changes is an intriguing one being explored by some companies and researchers.

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The basic concept is that anytime someone makes a choice that reduces their carbon footprint, it creates a marginal carbon reduction that could be quantified and recorded. So, deciding to walk instead of drive, or telecommuting instead of commuting, or turning down the thermostat a few degrees all represent avoided emissions, season dependent. While the reductions from any one person might be tiny, if you aggregate the data across thousands or millions of individuals, it starts to really add up.

Companies like CarbonCred are looking at ways to automatically track all these little green decisions by individuals using mobile apps, fitness trackers, smart home devices and other technologies. The reduced emissions are calculated based on metrics around transportation, home energy use, recycling, consumption patterns and more. All those bits of avoided carbon may then be converted into tradable credits on the carbon markets.

This approach has several benefits. It encourages more sustainable habits by creating financial incentives for small behavior changes, rewarding individuals with cash or other incentives for adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle. It additionally provides a way for businesses and organizations to involve their employees, customers, or members in reducing emissions in a measurable way. And it creates a new source of carbon credits to help companies and governments meet their climate goals.

While generating carbon credits from the collective impact of personal green habits is not a complete solution to the problems carbon credits are meant to solve, it is a promising avenue. It reinforces the notion that small individual actions can collectively make a real difference when embraced at a large scale.

This article was written by Will Baird (Director, Capturiant).

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial or investment advice.