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Pitch

Personal Carbon Footprint Awareness, Responsibility And Action Creating the Will To Change


Description

Summary

Our journey was to give back. So got hold of a group of like minded people who helped us put together the CarbonGobbler, an application focused on helping global citizen and enabling small life style changes to be responsible and take action for their carbon footprint responsibility. While individually what we can do is minimal but collectively we can make a difference. All we need is the Will to Change, to make a difference. Having an in depth understanding of the utility sector was when realization dawned that every kWh of energy we consume, every gallon of gas we drive on contributes to carbon emissions. These in fact contribute to personal carbon footprint responsibility. Also the 2 biggie's in carbon emissions.

Our way began with taking a hard look at all the Climate Change and or Global Warming talk, news and publications. What we found was while there is talk and generic guidelines to do good. But tools to help the citizen be aware of what and how their responsibility evolved and give them something to think about, were far and in between.

We created the CarbonGobbler and brought goal setting, gaming, forming groups and just competing with each other to do something about their personal carbon footprint and become accountable and responsible for it. 

And remember by using the CarbonGobbler you can also have more money in the pocket, with your energy saving behavior.

The CarbonGobbler is well designed for employee engagement and interaction on the company portal at CarbonGobbler. Our blog pages to post interesting snippets, allowing you to form sub group, and other features really enhance employee interaction, on carbon emission issue, giving them an in depth look creating more awareness.

Our competitions capability has the ability to be all inclusive and invoke an interest even from the uncurious. leading to better interaction and action on reducing carbon emission. CarbonGobbler is unique as it takes data to the next level encouraging action and participation.


What actions do you propose?

Now, taking the CarbonGobbler directly to individuals is an enormous task and chances are it will not work. As at an individual level there is not enough motivation.

But what can work is by taking CarbonGobbler to the Large employers, business and government.  (A typical Fortune 500 company has about 25000 employees, average) Every 2000 kWh equals 1 Ton of Carbon Emissions. So an average Fortune 500 company has the potential to reduce 12.5Tons of carbon emission per day!, assuming all employees participate. Point to note here is we are talking employee Household energy saving! And just 1 kWh a day at home. Thus was born the....


 The 1 kWh Advantage

CarbonGobbler drives employee engagement with awards and rewards. So the CarbonGobbler is capable of initiating Competitions. The employees compete, for the awards and rewards, as they are adequately incentivized.Just imagine a reward of instituted 3 months before Super Bowl an 80" LED TV. The cost to corporate about $6000. And the kicker is the corporate can take credit for the carbon emissions saved in their sustainability reporting, as it is their effort. And the double kicker is that the entire household members of the employee will be joining to win that LED TV. 

So not only have you as a corporate created a means to save energy and reduce carbon emission, you have got the whole household involved that is creating awareness where it matters.

Not to be outdone, CarbonGobbler goes to facilities management as well. So competitions could be initiated at the work place. Which division, region is saving the most energy thus reduced carbon emissions. Again awards and rewards will lead the way to making a change.

So not only do you conserve energy, reduce carbon emission BUT you also end up saving money!.

The CarbonGobbler provides excellent opportunity to engage your employee with the corporate Portal, where employees can go and see how they or their division is performing vis-a-vis the rest of the company. A good engagement tool


Who will take these actions?

These actions need to be driven by the Sustainability organization and or CSR organizations within the business and government. Given the importance of sustainability disclosures with both GRI and CDP leading the charge more and more business are submitting disclosures. With more than 70% of the S&P filing sustainability disclosures and close to 65% of the Fortune 500, not to leave the government behind.

CSR and Sustainability leaders along with Senior management are the key stake holders to enable this change. The HR department will be another key contributor, as incentives will be involved to motivate the workforce.

Eventually, it is the individual who will take the action. Facility Manager for facilities. And besides the kudos in awards and recognition, the employee saves money by using less energy at home = less carbon emissions.


Where will these actions be taken?

CarbonGobbler is designed such that it has adaptability globally. There are only so many ways the Utility bills you. All that is required for CarbonGobbler is the users in put of energy use data. Our transportation module allows users to account for travel, via different modes for personal and business.

So CarbonGobbler addresses both the biggies of carbon emissions at an individual or household as well as business large and small.

These actions can be taken at an individual, family and business levels.  

The best part is users will see real numbers on emission and energy used as it is based off their inputs. Compare, with national averages and analyze to micro details of per hour energy consumption and associated emissions (provided it is smart meter data) else at least a month to month analysis. 

What is more user can form their own group and compare themselves within the group,besides the facilities to compare by state and zip code usage and emission levels.  Users can also initiate competition within their groups. These are features not offered with any other product in the market today.


How will these actions have a high impact in addressing climate change?

Just taking the US as an example, the average household carbon emissions in the US is about 20 MT per year. 

Roughly the household in the US are in excess of 125 Million, and they contribute to about 50% of all US carbon emissions. If every household saved 1 kWh of energy a day that will be equal to 62500 MT of carbon emission saved per day =2,282,225,000 MT of emission per year . Now that is Utopia, if we can get to do it. The carbon emission of the US is roughly 5,500,000,000 MT.

Fortune 500 – 5 Million employee with the top 10 Fortune 500 companies (http://www.uspages.com/fortune500.htm ) The potential here is 2500 MT of carbon emission saved per day = 912,500 MT per year. So there can be a substantial dent in the carbon emissions, all by saving 1 kWh of energy per day by 5 Million Fortune 500 employees.

The way we calculate carbon emission is based on real numbers and international standards of conversion from CDP and EIA. We do not provide estimates we present reality.


What are other key benefits?

·        Citizen Engagement, can make a difference to carbon emission

·        While, the objective to save energy, directly impacting carbon emission, it is a great tool to create awareness and consciousness for the environment and global warming

·        Just your energy and travel details can spur action, you don’t have to go anywhere contribute anything but just save energy, reduce carbon and save money too

  • Great opportunity for business and government, who have traversed the whole nine yards in energy efficiency, with renewable power, Leeds certification etc.,  An opportunity to extend the cycle on reducing carbon emission
  • Employee engagement - Makes the employees proud to be associated with a corporate and global objective for reducing carbon emission and doing something about it to impact global warming
  • Attracting new talented employees
  • Sustainability reporting and disclosure benefits. 
  • Green Button Data Compliant
  • Helping employees save money
  • Users can compare real usage and emission.

 


What are the proposal’s costs?

CarbonGobbler is always FREE for individual and households.

We do charge business the following:

  1. Corporate Employee or Facility Portal @$5000. One time with an annual usage fee of 30% yearly
  2. Additional office and regional portals @3000 one time with annual usage fee of 30%
  3. For the employee portal, each employee is charged $4 per year.
  4. We set aside a portion of our revenues to create awareness messages, our current focus is messaging through the eyes of the Millennial and sample of our work is available in references section.
  5. We do not seek donation, but want to generate revenues to fund our awareness programs.

 


Time line

CarbonGobbler, is available now! On the Web, iOS devices and Android devices 

We will want to target large corporate, through the CSR/Sustainability program (1-3 years)

We will want to extend this to the Government, both Federal and State (1-3 years)

With over 80 Million Smart meters installed in the US and counting, CarbonGobbler, can get into greater detail to analyze energy consumption for Facilities. Ability to drill down to 15 min interval of consumption (3-5 years)

So facilities with less than 50000 SQft.  of office can take advantage of the CarbonGobbler without having to invest in expensive energy management tool.

We want to focus on English speaking or Primary language countries, starting with the US, Canada, UK, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand (5-10 years)

Finally, we will want to approach the Utility companies to adopt CarbonGobbler as a potential Customer Portal. CarbonGobbler is way and beyond what is available with the current utilities portal, Rich and full of flavor to inculcate, educate customer in energy conservation paving the way for real Demand Response for the Residential Segment. (5-10 years).

With success we believe that the Mid to long term will see further enhancement and facilities within the CarbonGobbler product to take care of advancing technologies and innovations. And other language capabilities for the product to get a more global user population.

 

 


Related proposals

 The proposal "CarbonGobbler" engaging citizens and business to save energy, reduce carbon emissions and saving money. via the Atypical Idea for Carbon Neutrality


References

Our YouTube Channel link is


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZJTi_Xy1mHM4aCtGB5Uwyg

  • The Power of Man - Will to Change


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08CtbNtG5V4

  • The 1 kWh Advantage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDXQOeswLIA

  • The Energy Challenge - An experiment by The Guardian, co-sponsored by Unilever to prove that 1 kWh Advantage can work

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/graphic/2014/jun/18/live-better-energy-challenge-results-infographic

GreenHatters Awareness Messaging: We use the power of young minds to get the message of global warming, renewable energy sources. Developed in association with NCERT of India, sponsored by GreenHatters, these 4 films were produced to convey our awareness programs. 

  • The Grey Climate - a Film by Aarushi Khan for GreenHatters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hAqWB3iFNQ

  • My Friend Ozone -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZQOPeCjOGc

  • Nandus' Endeavour -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4UHCq2zOG4

  • As Long As the Sun Shines -  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94JR1V2NP88

  • My Earth My Home - 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV2_Ig5bXuc

Get To Know More About Us And What We Do...

www.GreenHatters.com  - What we are committed to do..

www.CarbonGotbbler.net - For CarbonGobbler capability

www.CarbonGobbler.com - This is where we host the product


OUR PUBLICATIONS:

The 1 kWh Advantage - Explained

 http://en.calameo.com/read/003405805cd3248dcb061

Getting to know Sustainability for Corporate Employees 

http://en.calameo.com/read/003405805f0435e4cd476

ENERGY AND CARBON FOOTPRINT MANAGEMENT FOR BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT

http://http://en.calameo.com/read/00340580590366900a264

A PORTAL FOR UTILITY CUSTOMERS 

http://e.com/read/00340580590366900a264n.calameo

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY, McCOY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND THE ENACTUS PROGRAM

I must also mention our effort with Texas State University(TSU) Working with the ENACTUS program at the McCoy College of Business, we seeded CarbonGobbler and have reached out to 1500 students. Who are saving money and energy and have targeted to save 685 MT over the next 8 months. This is likely to double as the program is reaching out to all 37000 students and over 100 campus buildings. That is the plan.

CarbonGobbler was presented as a case study by TSU at the recently concluded ENACTUS Nationals. Placing among the top 8 teams, and past Champions for 2014.