For this Company Spotlight, we interviewed ClimateTrade’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer (Francisco Benedito). ClimateTrade uses blockchain technology to help businesses and individuals reduce their environmental impact. For more information on ClimateTrade, please visit www.climatetrade.com.

Background: In 2017, sustainability initiatives and carbon offsets were increasingly in demand. However, it was difficult to verify the claims from offsets that could be purchased across disparate channels. During this same time period, blockchain technology started being applied to areas outside of cryptocurrency that could also benefit from immutable ledgers. From the intersection of these two movements, Francisco Benedito co-founded ClimateTrade to offer a climate software platform for companies (as well as end users/consumers) looking to offset their carbon footprint. Today, ClimateTrade’s platform is actively utilized by over 4,000 users.

Value Proposition: ClimateTrade’s carbon offset marketplace provides the following unique features and benefits to its customers:

Large Supply of Certified Projects: As one of the first (if not the first) climate asset marketplaces, ClimateTrade offers over 200 projects across 35 countries related to carbon credits, biodiversity, and renewable energy that are independently verified by widely accepted certification providers.
Transparency & Traceability: ClimateTrade utilizes blockchain technology to enable the purchasers of carbon offsets to track the progress of the sustainability project they helped fund as well as the actual offset results. To further enhance transparency, they have implemented a pricing structure that allows customers to compare prices between projects, ensuring clarity in their choices. All projects are also independently verified by recognized carbon registries.
Plug and Play Tools: ClimateTrade’s API can be embedded into the purchase process (website, mobile app, or point of sale), making it possible for companies to offer carbon-neutral products and services to their customers.
Personalized Offset Certificate: ClimateTrade calculates the carbon footprint of the end user of a certain product/service, and when a customer decides to offset it by contributing to a mitigation project of choice, they receive a personalized offsetting certificate.

Closing Thoughts: Many consumers/end users are hesitant to opt into sustainability initiatives such as carbon offsets given the lack of transparency and accountability available in the nascent carbon credit marketplace. Technologies like ClimateTrade’s that allow for the accurate calculation and verification of carbon offsets are critical to establishing trust that products and services are actually carbon neutral. We look forward to following the company, as they continue to expand their offering globally and across various industries.

Company Spotlights

November 2023