Energie.be case
At Energie.be, the aim is to make the energy market fairer, simpler and more sustainable. Electricity therefore comes from renewable sources. However, there is also an understanding that it is not yet feasible for many to completely move away from natural gas, often because of limited infrastructure or the high cost. Still, CO2 emissions from gas account for about 75% of total CO2 emissions from energy use.
To make this more tangible for consumers and offer an alternative, the opportunity was created in collaboration with Go Forest to link individual consumer emissions from natural gas usage to a contribution to nature restoration – or more specifically, to tree planting. Together we made the calculation to convert these CO2 emissions into CO2 uptake by trees over a 20-year lifetime. Of course, we set up and monitor our projects in such a way that the trees should live much longer than this. When choosing our projects, we deliberately chose both local and global impact, recognising that local emissions and consumption have a global impact. Furthermore, a project close to our homes makes it for many even more tangible and relevant to truly initiate change in our own environments, making them greener.
Next to creating a local impact for maximum tangibility, we also pursue maximum transparency for maximum involvement. Consumers were directly or indirectly involved in every step of the process. An extensive market study showed that consumers effectively find it interesting and necessary to contribute to nature in line with their emissions, in addition, they also find local projects and impact important, at an affordable price. This was directly translated into the offering. Through the Go Forest impact dashboard for Energie.be, the impact made is shown at any time and through updates everyone is kept informed of the progress of the projects.
While it remains essential to reduce or avoid our emissions, and in the (medium) long term avoid using gas altogether, we believe that contributing to nature restoration through our projects or purchasing carbon credits is a valuable option when direct reduction is not (yet) possible. We hope that customers of Energie.be and those who find this initiative attractive will show their support through participating in this offering. Together we can demonstrate that contributing to nature restoration, with a transparent, local and global approach, is a valuable addition to the fight against climate change. In addition, that it is valuable for companies to create support for their sustainability initiatives in this way, creating community participation and awareness around this topic.
