Carbon Facts Labeling - Carbon Footprint Transparency

Carbon labeling, in a manner similar to well socialized Nutritional Labels,  simplifies multifactorial carbon cost calculation into simple transparent scoring giving us a common-sense approach to lifetime carbon footprints.

Demand from cultural/industrial/geo political diversity, population growth, technology, resource scarcity, environmental sustainability requires this foundational first step toward policy development, awareness, incentives, action toward protecting our earth home via universally recognized scoring.

Organizations and people (ages, cultures, socio-economics) should have tools to inform consumption today with an eye toward total cost inclusive of production, transportation, renewable inputs, recyclable disposal, useful-life implications.

This metric, as with currency and food labels, will aid collaboration, data aggregation, understanding and action eventually becoming an expectation of consumers.

Beverage labels that quantify inputs, packaging, energy, geo/local stats, recycled in-out, transportation and disposal build a complete “carbon estimate” picture most can understand.  With Carbon reporting and labeling, informed choice, design, production, consumption and policy will make us all contributors to a healthy circular economy.  

The social dynamic of consumerism versus environmentalism and social awareness are tugging at consumers mindsets of "I want"; however, the economy is predominantly geared to deliver what consumers want at the lowest monetary cost or toward some quality differentiation.  

Carbon labeling will move us toward “good for the environment is good for the economy”!  Consumers can have choice, businesses can differentiate, there can be environmental sustainability - with circular economy; but necessary changes will be accelerated only with raised public education, awareness even governmental policy.

Young people historically are change-agents, empowered by increased information, and have promoted causes creating cultural change worldwide, throughout history. Smoking statistics, ingredient labels create smarter food shoppers.

Giving people standardized, concise descriptions of key information such as lifetime  carbon footprint metrics to aid purchase decisions, inform decisions to pay more in some cases - will influence manufacturers, importers, exporters to pay closer attention to materials costs, manpower needs, transport & disposal plus useful life and repurpose likelihood of their widgets - recognizing a full complement of energy costs involved.  

This information and consumer decision making power will foster a culture of forward focused, more global and sustainability thinking, rather than a short-term "want & cost." 

This program is designed to involve everyone on the globe eventually.  The intent is to create awareness and change to mindsets and culture, reducing a narrow or short-term view and consumerism toward increasing broader-perspective of global health and environment preservation. 

Initially it will be targeted toward US and Canada consumers, schools, manufacturers, government. This initiative will help promote the program and create a consumer demand, which we believe manufacturers will adopt in order to maintain customer base and build their business.  This program will lift awareness for smaller, local players which ultimately have lower "counts".  

Lobbying with government, locally and nationally will also need to occur so that Carbon Labeling protocol methodology is established and required of producers of goods and services.

Develop a standardized and immediately usable measure for Carbon Footprint, so that a value can be assigned to all things produced, even companies we do business with.  The value would begin at the conception an idea and end at its delivery to shelf for purchase or to the door (amazon).

The goal of increasing awareness/education so consumers expect this labeling, then motivating industry, manufacturers, importers, exporters, etc.,. to include labels on their products. Common methodology makes comparison straightforward, communication and collaboration for action and awareness move with more velocity.  A Carbon Label similar in form to the well socialized Nutrition Labels gives anyone the tools to understand the impact of their purchase the influence (positive or negative) of the corporate contributor - or local resource from which they must choose to frequent or purchase goods from.

Labeling could be solicited voluntarily from business simultaneously to consumer awareness and education at first followed by a more rigorous approach with a deeper dive in a second phase.  A key stakeholder to this approach will be to gain / lobby governments to create policy so that labels are required on all products. (long-term goal)

Once critical mass snowballs, it is hypothesized that consumers will "pull" this transparency forward from business players - whether mandated by government or not.  This is part and parcel to the world of information, data, metrics we are living in today, where consumers want information at the ready to inform their decisions.

Our solvethon team is uniquely qualified to innovate this solution for fostering the circular economy due to our diversity of professional backgrounds and skill sets.  We hail from Ontario and Detroit Michigan, the United States so we're crossing the Great Lakes and an international border to work together for something so important to the global environment!  We bring a wealth of experiences to the challenge, together so much more than 8 bodies: teacher, writer, lobbyist, speaker, coach, engineer, chief economist, benchmarking expert, global product developer, technology leader, university energy lab director, grant stewarder, small business advocate, entrepreneur, air & vehicle transport experts, builder, manufacturing buyer, global university exchange creator, diversity and inclusion champion, electric power, fuel technology, sustainability expert, marketer.  We span a number of ages, interests, and cultural diversity beyond our citizenships.

Our "carbon counter" quantifies the impacts of consumer choice on our planet, packaged in a similar way as the "calorie counter" label that has been in use on foods to encourage informed choice. Our "carbon counter" would inform the consumer of the impact of the choice they are about to make. Incorporated into the label would be a link to our app that would provide additional info (alternatives, long term impacts, etc.).

The core technology is using big data distilled down to a single choice by a single person, and then showing how this choice impacts the planet.

When you can quantify the impact on our planet, this will change behavior. Similar to the calorie counting craze, caloric labels on foods, etc. These changes inform people about the long term projected impacts of their choices. I.e. to offset my bi-weekly disposable coffee cup I need to plant 2 trees, drive 400 miles less that year, or switch to a reusable cup.

We are not currently serving anyone, however with the proper support we feel we can work to understand the impacts on some popular products and get the app off and running. Would need support to make the labeling implemented from big business or the government.

1 year goal -

High frequency items - Carbon impact for a single bottle of water, a disposable cup of coffee, and plastic grocery bags.

High impact items - Carbon impact for a electric vehicle vs. internal combustion (car vs. truck), energy efficient appliances, solar panels, etc

Implement App in the apple and droid environments. The app would allow users to track the carbon foot print, share with friends, and provide alternatives/offsets. App could also provide a "target" for a user based on global targets for the planet.

Within 5 years -

with enough users on the app, tracking could be used to compare cites, states, and even countries (similar to the lumosity app). While not scientific, it would appeal to the competitive nature of people, which is when we are at our best.

Forums would also provide idea exchange.

Need financial support to develop and launch app.

Need technical support to quantify, calculate, project carbon impacts.

Need to package the power of big data into the app.

Need to work with manufacturers who will voluntarily add labels while working with government to mandate.

Need to show people the impact of their choices on the planet. No one wants a dirty planet, but it seems like such a big problem. Bringing it down to a single choice will help people understand.

To secure the capital and technical support we would begin with the Solve team to help get the concrete data that shows the impacts and begin the app development process.

We would also need coaching on how best to engage manufacturers that might be willing to voluntarily add labels to their products (think eco conscious companies), and engaging government at all levels to begin the discussion.

At the grass roots level we would need to start getting the idea out there!

n/a

8 staff, working part-time on this project, incubated at the Solvathon in Detroit, Michigan, on June 27.

Jackie O'Bright, jackie.obright@gmail.com, 226-345-5483

Karen Prater Jasmine, executive@noma.net, 313-409-1839

Dave Ruiz, david.a.ruiz@gm.com, 248-794-0382

Mark J. Rychlinski, mark.j.rychlinski@gm.com, 586-531-8157

Sara R. Kaplan, sara.kaplan@wcaa.us, 734-846-1590

Charon Morgan, charon.l.morgan@gm.com, 586-864-5098

Mary McCardwell, m.mccardwell@gmail.com, 248-444-6124

Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, ehughesc@umich.edu, 734-647-9403

Our team brings a wide range of skill sets and interests that allow us to understand the issue and work towards a feasible solution. We have team members in academia, industry, and government that have a real interest in helping raise awareness on the circular economy. We are also parents who have an interest in keeping the world habitable for our children and the rest of the world. 

We currently don't have any partnerships. We would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with those who share an interest in our project and are willing to help!

• Resources: energy & sustainability experts, universities, federal & other labs, manufacturers, associations, government,
• Activities: research, create strategy, develop and create the scoring algorithms and methodology, develop best practices, education, outreach, marketing, government relationships – starting with either critically low scoring products or easier adoption product scoring, gain engagement, begin PR with schools and populations already favorable, enlisting food labeling experts so as not to reinvent, learn from learning
• Types Intervention: education in schools, community events, lobbying, social media, website, art to educate exhibits, partnerships, corporate sponsorship, university assistance,  - adopt a community such as downriver where there is discomfort to be addressed immediately
• Segments: packaging and ecommerce, plastics products, manufacturing, service companies, food, building, health
• Partners/Stakeholders: local/community government, scientists, universities, school kids, businesses seeking to be on the forefront of the movement, climate change and circular economy experts, disposal and recycling industry, conservationists, data scientists, agencies, national and local parks,
• Channels: digital marketing, social, community events, education environments, in person events/outreach, snail mail – although conflicts
• Raising financial support will be big job to fund cost research, creation, testing, implementation
• Concept and IP to a point with some amount of data then license concept to an organization already in “testing” NSF
• Licensing revenue nominal could channel innovation, research, awareness 

need big corporate sponsorship - those with stated sustainability goals - should be easy to locate and engage.  

major channel support for the obvious google and facebook plus snap and insta which appeals to youth

go for product players who are selling to younger and go for push and pull influence

Need some tech expertise that can help quantify the carbon impact for high volume products (i.e. plastic water bottles, coffee cups, etc {one time use products]). A third party with respected credentials so the published #'s could be independently reproduced (i.e. credible)

Need some legislative (or corporate) support to add the labels to the products

Need some IT horsepower for an app that allows people to calculate/track their carbon intake, whilst also offering options reduce, eliminate, or offset (i.e. use reusable cups, plant a tree, etc). Maybe make "scores" public. Could have a target score for people, towns, states, etc.

Could use support in designing this model legally and strategically.

Through the team members, we may be able to get big player support plus traction from:

MIT, UMich, WSU, GM, Local public schools, State and Washington D.C., Ontario school system.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help drive the requirement for labeling

Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) to help understand/quantify the impacts

Automotive Manufacturers to support moving ahead with enabling consumers to be "carbon conscious"

Media to help spread the word that the choices you make as a consumer can make a difference.

AI could be leveraged once a scoring mechanism and data tracking could be implemented to garner data.

It would be terrific to study behavior (hopefully positive) support for companies with transparent scoring participation.

At a minimum, AI could learn from consumer behavior, websearch language for pulse, and proactive advertising of "good scoring products" to those interested 

Would propose the addition of a total yearly carbon impact to the sticker of automobiles such that consumers would be aware of not only the fuel economy (impact to their wallet), but the carbon impact to our planet.

Money would be used to lobby to legislate this into reality, and to raise awareness of the total impact our choices as consumers have on the planet.

Because women are decision makers in the consumer choices that impact our planet, this money could be used to communicate the message that a healthy planet (clean air, clean water, clean earth) has a significant impact the quality of life for women and girls.

Money would be used to communicate this message to women and show that they can make a difference in our planet's health.

Using AI to help quantify the impacts of our consumer choices is just the beginning. With further development AI could be used to project the benefits for the changes that we make (i.e. switching from an internal combustion engine to an electric vehicle) on the air quality, reductions in fossil fuel usage, etc. With this knowledge we believe that consumers will change their behaviors. Right now our choices aren't measured, and if you can't measure it how can you make it better.