If global warming continues at the current rate of 0.18 °C per decade, it will lead to irreversible natural catastrophes that disproportionately affect climate-vulnerable ecosystems by 2050. According to the IPCCC, to limit global temperature rise to under 1.5°C, global greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions must be reduced by 43% by 2030[1]. Studies prove that two-thirds of the global GHG emissions are linked to household consumption[2], and we believe it is essential to empower individuals, especially in developed countries, to reinvent their lifestyle choices to reduce global emissions. 

As strategic designers, we identified an opportunity to drive conscious lifestyle changes in individuals through a mechanism that seamlessly integrates into existing digital systems. Curren-C is a platform that grants consumers the agency and resources to enable individual action in this global movement toward sustainability.

We aim to build a world where Emissions Tracking, Trading, and Credits are no longer limited to large-scale industries but also accessible to the end user. A robust database of emission information, generated by a Cradle-to-Grave approach of lifecycle assessment; equips Curren-C with accurate emission figures of products and services linked to the digital financial transactions that enable them. Curren-C is designed to grant consumers the agency to track, budget, offset, and even trade their carbon footprint by unifying all the touchpoints one needs to promote sustainability and conscious consumerism in their life. 

Curren-C aims to:

• Build awareness among consumers and promote conscious and mindful consumption
• Quantify individual climate impact with rich data-driven insights
• Incentivize climate-positive behavior 
• Simplify the existing complexity around climate action for the user by unifying the plethora of touchpoints that enable one to make an impact
• Make the fight against climate change accessible to the end-user who often feel to small and insignificant in this large battle
• Create a network for Climate Action and develop a social currency around sustainability

This is the future of consumerism. And Curren-C is your ultimate climate ally.

Note:
Curren-C does require its users to grant the platform access to their financial data and records for service delivery. To address this, we also envision developing the Curren-C API (application-programming interface) that can be integrated into existing bank apps and other fin-tech platforms (like Intuit’s Mint) – to aid a more ubiquitous presence and reduce potential onboarding friction.

References

[1] https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_SummaryVolume.pdf

[2] Environmental Impact Assessment of Household Consumption, Diana Ivanova, Konstantin Stadler, Kjartan Steen-Olsen, Richard Wood, Gibran Vita, Arnold Tukker, Edgar G. Hertwich

currenc.io

RETURN TO GOOD INTERVENTIONS ’23 EXHIBITION