Poseidon Foundation Launches First Retail Platform That Allows Consumers to Support Climate Action Using Blockchain Technology
May 24 2018 - 3:13AM
Business Wire
The world’s first retail platform that connects consumers to
their own carbon footprint has been launched in London by
non-profit ogranisation the Poseidon Foundation (“Poseidon”).
Poseidon’s platform uses blockchain technology to integrate carbon
markets into transactions at the point-of-sale, giving retailers
and their customers the opportunity to support forestry
conservation projects around the world when they buy and sell
everyday items, and in turn support action on climate change.
The retail platform launched on 1st May, and a pilot is
currently underway at Ben & Jerry’s newest ice cream Scoop Shop
in Wardour Street, London. For every scoop of ice cream sold the
values-led ice cream company is contributing towards carbon credits
from a forest conservation project in Peru, and is offering their
customers the opportunity to join them in taking action at the
point of sale, using blockchain technology. Ben & Jerry’s has
been vocal for many years on the issue of climate justice,
including their global Save our Swirled campaign ahead of the Paris
COP in 2015 and they have taken a number of steps within their own
business to reduce their emissions, including a self-imposed carbon
tax.
Speaking about the launch of the pilot, Laszlo Giricz, Founder
and CEO of Poseidon said:
“We are thrilled to see our pilot with Ben & Jerry’s fully
operational, giving consumers for the first time the opportunity to
rebalance their own carbon footprint – and rebalance the carbon
concentration in the atmosphere in the process. While this is just
one small pilot, the technology is now proven and can be fully
scaled and integrated, giving everyone the opportunity to
understand their own carbon impact and take action. In just three
weeks, we have already protected over 1,000 trees via the London
store, equivalent to an area the size of 77 tennis courts, which is
very encouraging and shows the potential for the platform to drive
behaviour change once widely adopted.”
Chris Gale, Head of Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission Europe,
commented:
“We have got a long way to go within our own business to reduce
our reliance on fossil fuels but we have also made some big
commitments and want to be transparent about our impact. At the
same time, we want to use every part of our business to support a
transition to a low carbon economy, including putting an internal
price on carbon and setting ourselves ambitious targets to reduce
our absolute carbon emissions by 80% by 2020. We are excited by the
opportunity Poseidon Foundation’s new technology brings as an
approach that connects fans to climate action.”
All of the carbon credits on the Poseidon Platform will be
sourced from Ecosphere+, a B Corp. As part of the Althelia Climate
Fund, Ecosphere+ has direct access to the largest portfolio of
forest conservation projects in the world. The first project
supported by users of the Poseidon platform, the Cordillera Azul
National Park, sits at the intersection of the Andes mountain range
and the Amazon basin in Peru and is home to around 6,000 plant
species, 11 endangered large mammals and numerous indigenous
populations
-ENDS-
About Poseidon
Poseidon is a non-profit foundation that empowers individuals to
offset the carbon impact of their lifestyle choices with a
breakthrough approach. Using blockchain technology, it integrates
carbon markets into everyday retail transactions at the
point-of-sale and allows users to track the positive impact of
their transactions on individual forest conservation projects. This
will transform people’s relationship to their carbon footprint,
encourage vital behavior change and unlock the considerable growth
potential of carbon markets to effectively address climate
change.
To find out more about Poseidon - https://poseidon.eco/
About Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s has been making great ice cream since the
company was founded by school friends Ben Cohen and Jerry
Greenfield, back in 1978. Their aim is (and always has been!) to
make the best possible ice cream, in the nicest possible way.
Climate change is real. It’s happening now. For Ben &
Jerry’s, it's not just about polar bears and ice sheets, it’s about
people and it’s an issue of economic and social justice. We need
urgent action to reduce our global economy’s dependence on fossil
fuels, as well as ways to transition towards a low carbon
future.
More on Ben & Jerry’s commitment to climate justice -
https://www.benjerry.com/values/issues-we-care-about/climate-justice
More on Ben & Jerry’s social impact -
https://www.benjerry.com/about-us/sear-reports
About Ecosphere+
Ecosphere+ is a certified B Corporation helping companies create
and implement nature-based solutions that enable them to succeed in
a world aligned with global climate and development goals. As part
of the impact investment Althelia Climate Fund, Ecosphere+ brings
to market the largest portfolio of forest conservation projects in
the world, generating verified carbon credits and measurable
sustainable development impacts. These carbon credits are part of a
growing natural asset class at least as important as renewables in
the fight to slow climate change by reducing carbon dioxide
emissions, and vital to achieving the Paris Agreement goals.
More about Ecosphere+ - https://www.ecosphere.plus/
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Poseidon FoundationEdward
Jones-Daviese.jones-davies@hawthornadvisors.com02037454977