CO2 Fit: Sustainable Transport App

Changers – a German company that motivates people to change their energy behaviour – has developed a new app, CO2 Fit, which helps users track their carbon emissions from travel and earn virtual currency to offset them.

The company – which has also developed a solar charger that lets users earn digital currency – tracks your trips and types of transport to calculate your net CO2 emissions. Travelling a kilometre by bicycle saves a kilogram of CO2, compared to taking the car, for example.

Each kilo of CO2 saved earns a Recoin, a unit of the company's virtual currency. Recoins can be used to purchase climate certificates via the app – a way of offsetting future emissions.

Cycling most of the time might earn a user enough Recoins to offset a future flight or a trip in a car. The app is gamified, allowing users to compete against others for awards and badges.

The app makes clear how much CO2 can be attributed to the user because of their choices – even during a journey. The idea is to motivate people to select greener transport options and, ultimately, make their lives CO2-free, with the help of carbon offsetting.

For more on how brands are using technology to help consumers better understand their energy usage, see Eco Energy: Smarter Savers.