Our Journey to Climate Positivity

Photo by Andrew Coehlo

At the end of last year, we announced that we would be going climate positive in 2021 – just in time for our five-year company anniversary. Today we can officially claim to be climate positive after offsetting more than five years’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions.

Before we share the details of our path, we want to underline the importance of not only offsetting the damage that has been done, but also making changes in your company’s operating policies to avoid CO2 emissions in the first place going forward.

Carbon offsetting will not solve the climate crisis.

Your company must take responsibility for the world it operates in. Set up an internal task force to research and implement change.

Here’s how we approached our journey to climate positivity:

1.     We used MyClimate to calculate our carbon footprint of the last five years.

Our average operational carbon footprint was 18,300 kilograms per year (mainly due to flights). The average individual in Germany will emit 8,563 kilograms per year.

2.     We researched certified NGOs and companies to carbon offset with. There are many different paths your company can take to offset their emissions. We opted for a mix of planting trees and investing into low-carbon technologies of the future, such as solar photovoltaics. 

3.     We selected and donated towards projects that show a sustainable approach over the long term. For example, planting a tree with Green Forest Fund ensures the trees planted stay standing for 100 years to capture approx. 3 tons of CO2 across their lifetime. Often when planting cheaper trees (e.g. 2 EUR per tree vs. 30 EUR) the company cannot ensure that the tree stays alive and is protected during its entire lifespan.

Here’s where our donations went:

• More than three years’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions offset by planting 19 trees via Green Forest Fund in Germany. Price point: 570 EUR.

• More than two years’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions offset by supporting clean energy projects in Madagascar and Senegal via Atmosfair. Price point: 842 EUR.

We would have absolutely loved to use climeworks. The company focuses on capturing carbon directly from the air and storing it underground, making it one of the fastest ways to quickly offset CO2 emissions. Yet experts argue that it is way more efficient to invest into renewable energy, storage, and energy efficiency instead.  

4.     We reviewed our operations and sustainability policy to see where we can reduce emissions in the future. Some of the measures we have already implemented are: switching to renewable energy, going 100% paperless (notebooks and post-it notes for creative brainstorming sessions excluded), commuting to the office on bike or using public transport instead of by car, and traveling by train instead of plane whenever possible considering work schedules and meeting times.

5.     We spread the word. And will continue to do so. We’re currently working on an infographic for all companies to use and share, to kick-start the conversation around carbon offsetting their operations to date, and implementing new sustainability policies and practices to cut future emissions. As we’ve said, offsetting is the last resort for emissions you can’t cut yet.

We’ve always said that we want to make it easy for small companies – and our clients - to follow suit. And the easiest way to do that is by being transparent each step of the way. If something is unclear or you have specific questions about any of the points above, please drop us an email.

PS: Interested in carbon offsetting for yourself as an individual? Check out Klima, an incredibly cool new startup from Berlin that makes the process fun, transparent and easy.