The space of carbon credits, sometimes seen as confusing and out-of-reach, is changing. A new partnership between EcoCreds and INTO is aiming to democratize access to these instruments, potentially empowering individuals to take meaningful action against climate change and reshaping the crypto industry's environmental impact.

EcoCreds is a new platform focused on transparent, verifiable carbon offsetting. For this, they have partnered with INTO, a firm focused on simplifying complex financial products for regular consumers. This partnership hopes to bridge the intricacies of the carbon credit system with the average consumer. It simplifies the process of finding, earning, and redeeming these credits, making it easier for people to lower their impact on the environment.

The partnership arrives at a crucial time. With the increased visibility of climate change, there’s an increasing demand from people to be part of the solution. The mechanics behind these carbon markets, combined with a general lack of user-friendly platforms, have previously made it difficult to participate at scale. EcoCreds and INTO hope to catalyze a new movement for climate accountability. They hope to do this by streamlining the process and offering accessible, easy-to-use resources that foster user accountability.

Making Carbon Credits Accessible

The EcoCreds-INTO partnership is focused on simplifying the process of purchasing and utilizing carbon credits. This shared commitment is at the center of their innovative partnership. Until now, participating in the carbon market has been a process that demanded deep expertise and access to exclusive networks. A new, collaborative effort funded by The Kresge Foundation and led by Reconnect R.E.A.L. Using a minimal, intuitive design, it educates users on the various kinds of carbon credits available, what kind of projects they’re funding, and what difference their purchase will make.

This accessibility is afforded by a few innovative features. The platform provides users with short, simple explanations on every step of how carbon credits work. It covers what they are, how they work, and why they’re important. It cuts down the technical language. Rather, it presents the nuanced and important details in a straightforward, digestible way.

Second, the partnership’s work is aimed at putting together the best possible, most rigorous, selection of carbon offset projects. But mostly these projects are subject to rigorous vetting and certification by third-party auditors to guarantee their legality and efficacy. This provides users with the assurance that their hard-earned dollars are being spent on projects that are truly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Last, the platform provides users with an easy, intuitive buying experience. Users can easily calculate their carbon footprint, browse available projects, and purchase the appropriate number of carbon credits to offset their emissions. The whole process is made to be as transparent and user-friendly as possible to promote broader participation and engagement.

Individual Climate Action: A New Frontier

This partnership can go a long way in helping each person take meaningful, accessible climate actions. By making carbon credits more accessible, EcoCreds and INTO are empowering individuals to take ownership of their environmental impact and contribute to solutions. This focus on personal accountability could be a major driving force for much larger transformational change.

For people, it has become effortless to balance out one’s own emissions. This includes emissions from everyday activities such as:

  • Flying
  • Driving
  • Energy consumption

Furthermore, individuals can now support organizations that offer carbon credits, such as those focused on:

  • Reforestation
  • Renewable energy
  • Sustainable land use practices

People can enroll in individual carbon offset programs. Companies that commit to energy efficiency measures or make the switch to renewable energy sources can help lower the emissions they produce themselves.

Just one fewer long-haul return flights can have a larger effect. You can decrease your carbon footprint by almost 2 tons of CO2e! Moving from an average American diet to a vegetarian diet, for example, reduces your individual carbon footprint by up to 500 kilograms of CO2e per year. If you become vegan, you can lower it by more than 900 kilograms! Improving home energy efficiency and switching to electric vehicles are other impactful actions that can be supported through carbon credits.

Crypto's Environmental Footprint: A Step Towards Sustainability

Similarly, the crypto industry has come under fire in recent months for its contributions to climate change. Specific processes for cryptomining – especially that of Bitcoin – are extremely energy-intensive, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions and concerns about sustainability. The EcoCreds-INTO partnership represents an exciting opportunity for the crypto, and more specifically the Web3, space. It seeks to address these issues and shrink its environmental footprint.

One example is bitcoin mining, which is expected to use about 63 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity per year. However, this consumption drives significant greenhouse gas emissions. Just in the second half of 2020, Bitcoin mining activities emitted more than 85.89 million tons of CO2. Not only this, Bitcoin mining produces up to 64,000 tons of e-waste annually and has a large water footprint.

By integrating carbon offsetting into their operations, crypto companies can take responsibility for their environmental impact and contribute to projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. You can buy its carbon credits to neutralize emissions emitted during your mining operations. Or, instead, you can purchase renewable energy credits from renewable energy sources, or support the industry’s adoption of sustainable practices.

Carbon offsetting is not the complete solution to the crypto sector’s climate concerns. It represents a historic breakthrough. It shows their dedication to maintaining sustainable practices and offers the most direct means for our industry to lessen harmful impacts on the environment.

Beyond Carbon Credits: A Holistic Approach

The EcoCreds-INTO partnership provides compelling new avenues for personal climate action and increased industry accountability. Yet we can’t kid ourselves that carbon credits will fix every environmental problem under the sun. Confronting climate change while we need to offset emission somehow, addressing it effectively means being more ambitious and more creative.

Investors should stop just pursuing the reduction of their financed emissions through their investments. A truly holistic approach means an end-to-end and whole-of-economy systemic transformation, as well as changes in individual behavior.

  • Reducing overall energy consumption
  • Transitioning to renewable energy sources
  • Implementing sustainable land use practices
  • Weatherproofing buildings
  • Installing cool roofs
  • Replacing boilers and air conditioners with super-efficient heat pumps
  • Protecting and restoring natural ecosystems

These broader trends in civic engagement and community activism can provide important context within which to view the EcoCreds-INTO partnership as a valuable tool. By empowering individuals to take responsibility for their emissions and supporting projects that reduce greenhouse gases, it contributes to a larger movement towards a more sustainable future. Carbon credits aren’t the full answer. To make real progress against the more complex challenges posed by climate change, we need holistic approaches that do more than offer elusive carbon credits.

EcoCreds and INTO have proven to be an effective alliance. Together, this partnership democratizes access to carbon credits for anyone while motivating users to take more impactful and measurable climate-positive actions. They are streamlining the overall process and equipping applicants with easy to use tools. This strategy opens the door for a transformative second wave of climate action, dedicated to personal accountability. While carbon credits are not a complete solution, they can play a valuable role in a broader strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a more sustainable future. DreamingCrypto is going to keep a close eye on this partnership and its impact on the changing cryptoverse. Now, as the Web3 prophecy foretells unchained worlds, brave startups are leading the way through this digital wilderness.

The partnership between EcoCreds and INTO represents a significant step towards democratizing access to carbon credits and empowering individuals to take meaningful action against climate change. By simplifying the process and offering user-friendly tools, they are unlocking a new wave of climate action driven by individual responsibility. While carbon credits are not a complete solution, they can play a valuable role in a broader strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a more sustainable future. DreamingCrypto will continue to monitor this partnership and its impact on the cryptoverse's unfolding legend, where brave startups forge paths through digital wilderness, and the Web3 prophecy whispers of worlds unchained.