How do you sell Carbon Neutral Internet and Mobile when nobody is aware that internet use creates carbon?

You need to bring the facts to life.

By collecting an individual’s data consumption, we used proprietary data modelling to calculate exactly how much CO2 their usage created, in grams. This amount was known as their Carbon Thumbprint.

Then we visualised this amount through an AR app and across online media where ads would weigh the content they were placed in. Once users were aware of their Carbon Thumbprint they were offered the opportunity to switch to Belong’s Carbon Neutral Internet.

Belong are Australia’s first Carbon Neutral Broadband and Mobile provider. Our brief was to take to market the carbon neutral message in a way that was engaging and would drive behavior change. However, this is not a straightforward challenge.

It is estimated that Australian mobile data networks create more than half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year (using approximately 10% of all energy in Australia), but less than ten percent of Australians realize they contribute to carbon emissions in the first place.

So first we needed to make consumers aware of the problem, and then make them care. In an environment where the threat of climate change has almost become white noise and those huge environmental numbers that should be shocking are no longer, we wanted to bring the message to life before people's eyes and make it impossible to ignore.

We created a new measurement of the carbon emissions created by an individual’s mobile data usage, the Carbon Thumbprint.

The modelling behind the Carbon Thumbprint pulls from multiple sources to calculate carbon-dioxide emitted per MB used in grams.

To enable individuals to measure their impact, we launched the Carbon Thumbprint app, supported by a campaign asked Australians; what’s your Carbon Thumbprint?

The app tracked user’s data usage, and then converted the amount into MB and an augmented reality experience visualised this amount, before adding it to Australia’s total emissions.

A digital campaign then alerted users, to exactly how carbon much their online activities contribute to data-based CO2 emissions.

Pre-roll films weighed online streaming, radio placements weighed podcasts and Spotify streaming, and digital banners weighed the webpages they were placed on.

This activity brought to life the problem and then offered the user a solution; switch to Belong, Carbon Neutral Internet.

With only 8% of Australians aware that the Internet usage creates carbon emissions, we needed to raise awareness. People are familiar with the term Carbon Footprint, we needed something with the same social salience and talkability. So we created the Carbon Thumbprint; a calculation of the emissions from your online data usage.

We started by capturing annual GHG emissions that are caused in the provision and use by customers of mobile plans, including emissions associated with the powering and operation of mobile network infrastructure.

We then divided GHG emissions by the amount of annual usage data that passes through the mobile network at a per megabyte (MB) rate.

This calculation provides us with the ‘carbon intensity’ figure or carbon-dioxide-equivalent (CO2-e) emitted per MB used. We were then ready to apply this formula to our audience’s specific MB usage.

Once we had the Carbon Thumbprint calculation, we needed to ensure this data connected with people in a contextual and personalised way.

The Carbon Thumbprint AR app guides users through a series of questions regarding mobile data usage to determine their estimated personal data usage. Then once calculated the AR experience creates a carbon block, scaled exactly to the proportions of your output. This was then added to Australia’s estimated total.

Then online, the Carbon Thumbprint formula was used to help users understand the carbon emissions created by their browsing, streaming and downloading. Pre-rolls showed how much CO2 the following video stream would create, radio adverts weighed podcast and Spotify usage, and banners weighed and displayed the webpage they were placed on.

Each of these activities not only highlighted the problem, but compelled people to act. Each execution offered an opportunity to click and switch to Belong’s carbon neutral network.

Carbon Thumbprint is now recognised as an environmental measure by domestic telco regulators in Australia. It has also been used and reported upon by media outlets around the globe.

Consumer surveys now suggest that over 40% of Australian’s understand that mobile data usage has an environmental impact. 37 % are also confident they can explain what a Carbon Thumbprint is. Of those 67% said it will influence how they choose to select their Internet.

Since the campaign, Belong has increased the pace of customer acquisition, attracting over 95,000 new customers, helping offset over 135,000 tonnes of Co2 emissions.