Measuring impact, not just footprints
GoZero believes that it is possible for every person, business and organisation, to make a meaningful contribution to the collective effort to fight against climate change. This can only be done with real, transparent solutions and a credible emissions reduction approach. We will need to use limited resources wisely and identify and invest in solutions that deliver impact. Equally importantly, we must call out and abandon failed approaches.
There are lots of great carbon footprint calculators out there. Individuals and businesses can measure their emissions with increasing easy, but then what?
GoZero has researched several popular carbon footprint tools and it has become clear that while tens of thousands of people and businesses in New Zealand have used these tools to measure their footprints, hardly any have gone on to make measurable emissions reductions. We believe that these systems are not set up to deliver the real impact on emissions that we need.
Insetting vs offsetting
Popular tools and services make generic suggestions about how you can make changes to reduce your emissions, but that's not really their focus. They want to sell you offsets or certifications. That's how they make their money. Your business can buy offsets and then claim to be Net Zero, or maybe even buy extra offsets to be considered Planet Positive or similar. There is therefore little incentive to change behaviour or policies to avoid or reduce emissions, when you can buy cheap offsets with the click of a button.
GoZero works to help businesses and persons to inset solutions to avoid or reduce emissions. It is much more efficient to identify and address emissions at source, such as the fuel we use for transportation, heating and power, than to emit and then try to capture these emissions using offsets, even if the offsets work well.
The problem is that many offsets do not address emissions effectively. Buyers of offsets typically continue to emit at high levels, thinking that they are doing their bit by cancelling these emissions out. Where the offsets aren't working, these persons or businesses continue to be part of the problem and are wasting their money while doing so.
The reliance on offsets is a significant problem - the New Zealand government is going to pay billions on overseas offset projects that may be ineffectual, to comply with international obligations in 2030.
A business may be proudly displaying their offsetting efforts or Net Zero status on their website. What happens when they realise that they have been using junk offsets? What will their customers think of their brand when this is exposed? How will individuals feel when they understand that they have been ripped off?
GoZero believes that many people or businesses that buy offsets are doing so genuinely, but are being taken advantage of by unscrupulous actors. We believe that many people and businesses are being turned off from taking climate action because of a lack of trust caused by these actors.
We can no longer afford to waste the time, money and good will on false solutions.
GoZero has purposefully taken a different approach. We make our money by charging a subscription for services to help people and businesses identify, plan and deliver real emissions reductions, through insetting solutions for the emissions they control and through the products and services that they choose to purchase. We reward such actions through the Carbon Points system, which brings together the people and businesses who are doing the right thing. Where businesses and individuals want to top up their Carbon Points, they can purchase GoZero's high-integrity carbon credits to generate these, but these should only be used to complement actions to reduce emissions.
Real Zero vs Net Zero
There is a need to shift away from the clever accounting practices under Net Zero to a Real Zero approach, where what matters most - and is measured - is the amount of emissions that are avoided or reduced at source and through supply chains.
GoZero works to identify and provide services and solutions that accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future for all households and businesses in New Zealand. The good news is that New Zealand is amongst the first countries in the world where switching to renewable energy is now cheaper than remaining reliant on fossil fuels.
GoZero helps businesses and individuals to take a Real Zero approach. We help them avoid or reduce their emissions by increments of at least 5% each year, in line with science-based targets for 2050. We measure what matters. GoZero's marketplace gives value to such actions. When you reduce or avoid emissions, we generate Carbon Points rewards to match. Don't just measure your footprint, or count your offsets, measure your real and positive impact on our climate.
No more risky business or solutions
The climate crisis presents risks to every household and business. Investing in unreliable or untested climate solutions can also be risky for your business, both financially and for your brand reputation.
Large corporations have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years on offset projects that have since been discredited.
A number of scandals have undermined trust in many of the low-cost offset projects that businesses have been using to claim net zero status. The Guardian reported in January 2023 that "More than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets by biggest certifier are worthless" and, in May 2024, that "Corporations invested in carbon offsets that were ‘likely junk’." Additionally, there are allegations that some offset projects are responsible for violating the human rights of members of the local communities where they are taking place.
Nestle, for example, are abandoning offsetting in favour of decarbonising their operations and supply chains. Google also moved away from using offsets in 2023. GoZero will help your business to avoid such risks and to access effective climate solutions.
Ensuring Carbon Points credibility
Ensuring the credibility of every tonne of CO2e in our Carbon Points system is at the core of what GoZero does. We understand that increasing trust in climate solutions is vital in order to increase climate action.
We work to ensure that every Carbon Point represents real action on emissions. We also work to ensure that businesses that have deals on our site have taken validated, credible, measurable action on their carbon emissions. They are only able to generate Carbon Points based on the amount of CO2e that they have addressed through verified climate actions.
We will not get things right 100% of the time, but we are constantly researching the best, most reliable services and approaches to deliver credible climate actions to Kiwis and Kiwi businesses.
Our carbon reduction projects
To generate Carbon Points that can be used to top up reward campaigns and member accounts, GoZero exclusively uses high-integrity, Gold Standard carbon credits from projects that reduce emissions, such as those from cookstove projects. Leading climate organisation Project Drawdown, ranks efforts to promote clean cooking as amongst the most impactful global climate solutions.
These deliver emissions avoidance at source as well as certified co-benefits, such as improved health and livelihoods, under the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Improved Cook Stove Project, Uganda
Under this Gold Standard-certified project, improved cook stoves (ICS) have been provided to families in three districts in Uganda. Cook Stove projects produce amongst the most credible types of carbon credits.
These replace traditional cooking methods, increasing efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They also improve family members' health and reduce the need for them to collect firewood.
This project has certified SDG impacts, under SDGs 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and 13 (Climate Action).