From now on, our new CO₂ footprint feature will automatically calculate the CO₂ emissions associated with the items you buy. This will help you to understand the main factors contributing to your everyday personal carbon footprint and how to reduce it. All at a glance in the Tomorrow app. Read on to find out how it works.
The climate crisis is the greatest challenge of our time and we will only overcome it with resolute policymaking. But every single one of us also needs to use the available resources responsibly and manage our own CO₂ emissions responsibly as well. This is because our lifestyle and consumption habits contribute to our overall carbon footprint.
The good news is that there is a sure-fire way to deal responsibly with the CO₂ emissions we produce. But to do so, it is important first to gain an understanding of how high your own individual CO₂ footprint is and how it is made up.
How high is my personal CO₂ footprint? Our new feature shows you
By way of reference, the average person in Germany emits around 11 tonnes of CO₂ a year. But how does your own personal carbon footprint compare with this average? And what produces the most CO₂ in our everyday lives? Calculating the answers to these questions used to mean painstakingly seeking out all the necessary individual data.
But that is now a thing of the past! We have developed a new feature that, based on your card payments, will show the CO₂ emissions of your purchases directly in the Tomorrow app. This feature is free of charge and available in all our account models.
Keeping track of everything with the Tomorrow climate calculator
Specifically, this means that you will always know how your various outgoings – whether groceries, petrol or streaming service fees – translate to CO₂ emissions. Every time you pay with your card, you will be shown not only the price of your purchase but also the amount of CO₂ (in kilograms) generated in the production, transport and service stages.
This means that you will always be able to keep track of everything and can pinpoint the greatest causes of CO₂ in your everyday life and then use this knowledge to reduce your footprint. Perhaps you will also discover CO₂ culprits that you weren’t aware of before. Or realise that some things weren’t as bad for the environment as you had previously thought.
How it works: how the CO₂ emissions of your purchases are calculated
The CO₂ values are calculated in the background by our partner Ecolytiq, a data company based in Berlin. The figures for calculation are based on publicly accessible data, studies and research projects (e.g. from the Federal Statistical Office) on individual areas of life. Based on this, Ecolytiq developed a formula that can analyse and calculate the CO₂ value for any purchase in real time. You can find out more about the formula here.
Based on a number of different categories (to which we assign various retailers) and the purchase price, we calculate the CO₂ emissions for every purchase paid for with your Tomorrow card. In a second step, you have the option of indicating details about your payments that are relevant for a more in-depth calculation. The first details concern your eating habits, i.e. whether you are vegan or vegetarian.
Please note that your data still belongs exclusively to you. We are not able to screen your individual purchases and payments – and have no wish to either.
Why the actions of each and every one of us can make a difference
When it comes to combating the global climate crisis, many people are still asking themselves what kind of difference they – as one person – can make by reducing their CO₂ emissions, switching to a sustainable banking provider, flying less or opting for green electricity. But it is of vital importance that we all play our part as individuals.
After all, our consumption decisions not only have a positive or negative impact on the environment and our total carbon footprint but also act as a political voice that we can all use to bring about positive change. The more people who deliberately use their voice for change, the louder and more powerful this voice will be. We want to play our part by providing you with information about CO₂ emissions relating to your purchases – knowledge that you can put to good use.
What if I don’t want to use the new feature?
We are making the Tomorrow Footprint Feature available to our customers – needless to say, it is up to them whether to use it or not. If you would prefer not to see the CO₂ emissions associated with your purchases, you can simply refuse this option and continue using your app as before.
If you are in two minds, why not give the new feature a try by activating it, observing what happens and then deactivating it again later on if you no longer want to see the calculations? It’s all possible. After all, more than anything, we want to share knowledge with you – for you to enjoy this feature and for it to motivate you.
And if you need further tips for avoiding and reducing your CO₂ footprint, check out our Instagram account, where we will be providing you with a whole host of ideas and alternatives in the weeks to come. Of course, you can also opt for our Zero account for offsetting. Read more about it here.