Over 60% of climate change causing emissions come from what we buy every day. An estimated 300 grams of CO2 is attached to every single dollar we spend, and globally we spend $185 billion every day, according to data from The World Bank.

Greener is making it easy to reduce emissions by connecting businesses with sustainable shoppers and ensuring what they buy is carbon neutral, and then rewarding them for their sustainability efforts.

To solve the climate crisis, both sides of retail need to work together to reduce emissions, and that’s where Greener comes in. 

“For consumers, it’s as simple as downloading the Greener app, and they’re given greener brands in the palm of their hand for everything they buy,” Greener founder, Tom Ferrier told Retailbiz in a recent interview.

“We shine a light on the good things businesses are doing to get greener, and when Greener users shop with businesses in the Green Economy, we automatically carbon offset these purchases at no extra cost to the customer.

“Ultimately, our goal is to ensure everything people buy is carbon neutral because if everyone got behind the Green Economy, just here in Australia, we’d take the equivalent of 58 million cars off the road – three times the number of cars on our roads today.”

Helping businesses become more sustainable

Greener recognises that the key to meaningful, lasting change is ease and convenience – making it simple and rewarding everyone to get greener.

“Whether you are online only or bricks and mortar, what’s important to you and what’s important to your customer, Greener for Business takes all of this into account, and similar to the consumer app, businesses can have their own personalised roadmap to zero emissions and waste in under five minutes,” Ferrier said.

“Whether it’s using less packaging, shipping less or optimising routes, switching to solar, or unlocking green loans with lower interest rates, many businesses are saving money in the process. Sustainability is about consuming less, which in turn, saves money.”

Reducing the carbon footprint of shoppers  

Consumers want to know they are doing things that help, not harm the planet, and ultimately they want ease and convenience, so they love stories that bring this to life, according to Ferrier.

“They simply download the Greener app and we take away the hard work. They can choose to securely link their bank account, and when they shop with businesses in the Green Economy, we automatically carbon offset these purchases at no cost,” he said.

“When they don’t shop in the Green Economy, we provide smart suggestions for carbon neutral options next time. In under three minutes they can be helping end climate change with everything they buy. On average, our early adopters are demonstrating that Greener is helping them reduce their carbon emissions, taking the equivalent of one car off the road in emissions per person by making small impactful changes and choosing to shop carbon neutral.”

Moving towards a sustainable future

A recent PWC study found the desire to live sustainably is higher today than the overall average before the pandemic, across all income bands. According to Google Trends, Australia is in the top five countries for interest in sustainable fashion with the search term ‘second-hand clothing’ increasing 50% year-on-year.

“Consumer expectations have changed, and businesses that don’t keep up will get left behind. From circular products to using better materials, switching to green energy, and reducing plastics and waste, Australians are demanding more from the brands they shop with,” Ferrier said.

“If being more sustainable to help end climate change wasn’t already reason enough, getting greener now makes sense from a business perspective too.” 

A recent study from the Consumer Policy Research Centre has shown that almost half (45%) of Australians factor in sustainability before deciding to make a purchase, with this number continuing to grow.

“That’s why many of the big players including Woolworths, Kathmandu, David Jones, Country Road have made net-zero commitments. They know this is no longer nice to have,” Ferrier said.

But it’s not just the bigger businesses getting onboard. Over 250 businesses have already joined forces with Greener and other like-minded businesses, as founding partners of the Green Economy. These include Bared Footwear, Scoop Wholefoods, The Upside, Piping Hot, Koala and more.”

What’s next for Greener?

Late last year, Greener announced strategic partnerships with Australia’s peak retail body, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and NAB Ventures, who has millions of Australians banking with them and is the largest business bank in the country.

Greener also joined forces with fellow B Corp, Sendle, to accelerate its ambition to help Australian businesses and consumers move towards a greener, carbon neutral future. 

“For now, we’re working closely with our strategic partners to rapidly iterate, test and learn; accelerating our product development and ramping up our BETA program, bringing on hundreds more businesses and consumers as we rapidly scale up the Green Economy,” Ferrier said.

“It’s a great time to be involved in the climate tech space, and it’s a huge year for Greener – we can’t wait to share more exciting news soon, so watch this space.”

If you’re a business interested in joining the Green Economy, visit: https://www.getgreener.com/business