At Regreener, we are radically transparent about how we go about our business. That includes keeping you informed about how developments in the world of climate action affect our platform. A lot has happened since we launched our platform in May 2021. We want to make sure that you understand how and why these developments will affect our platform and product pricing.
In short: we have seen that the cost of climate action - particularly carbon credits - has risen rapidly due to a huge increase in demand. This demand has been driven by COP27, an increasing number of Net Zero Commitments from companies and ever-increasing environmental awareness.
Next to these developments, we have been working on a new, fully rebranded website and we are happy to announce three new partnerships which will enable our community to support more projects of their liking. These projects will be focusing on coral protection, plastic pollution removal and aviation innovation.
In this blog we will explain what all of this means for your subscription.
Context
Across the industry, the cost of buying carbon credits and supporting climate projects has risen significantly over the past years. For example, the average quoted cost of Verified Carbon Standard (Verra) and Gold Standard carbon credits that we regularly receive from our partners has more than doubled since May 2021.
In a broader context, this development is a very good thing, as it gives companies a greater incentive to reduce their emissions before considering offsets, in line with net-zero guidelines. Additionally, it gives project developers extra incentives to start new projects. But the significantly increased price of carbon has a direct impact on the cost of certified carbon reduction or removal credits, and thus on Regreener.
We feel that updating our prices at the beginning of this new year is a logical moment. It enables us to plan ahead and to continue to realise our founding goal: regreening the planet through best in class climate projects. As of January 1st, you can therefore anticipate the price change to show on your monthly invoice.
Subscription changes
The cost of climate action is increasing, but we want to make sure that this doesn’t simply mean a price increase for our community members. We have recalculated the average carbon footprint of a resident of the European Union (based on data of Eurostat). This amounts – including the 10% margin to ensure Planet Positivity – to 9.2 tonnes of CO2 on a yearly basis. The new Starter / Basic Employee plans covers half a footprint (4.6 tonnes of CO2), for those who want to take climate action but for who the higher tiers are a little out of reach.
Existing Personal subscribers will automatically be charged with the new, lower fee for their footprint plan. Existing Business subscribers will will also by default be charged a lower fee. If you feel like upgrading your subscription to ensure you continue to live a Planet Positive life, you can upgrade your subscription in your account settings. Existing Family subscribers will see a slight increase in their monthly cost, as the standard price for average footprint compensation has risen.
All contributions will continue to do what they did before: funding projects primarily focusing on CO2 avoidance and removal to offset your footprint, such as tree planting and renewable energy projects. On top of that, our users will continue to support projects that go beyond CO2 impact, but also have strong side benefits. Stimulating biodiversity and socio-economic growth will remain key in what we do.
Furthermore, we will continue to post all evidence and receipts of the impact we have realized on our Financials page. We will also continue to convey crucial information about updates like this, as well as celebrations of our collective achievements along the way.
Platform changes
Apart from subscription changes, we have been working on a new website that we launch today. Our rebranded (and upgraded!) website will have an entirely new look and feel. One of the major updates it that we will create more flexibility by giving you the opportunity to choose the projects you support each month. Tree planting and carbon offsets will be part of every subscription. Next to that subscribers will be able to support a project of your liking on a monthly basis: rainforest protection, coral protection and transplants or plastic waste cleanup programs.
To sum it up, you can expect the following new features (to be launched in the coming months):
- Flexible impact: pick a project (each month) of your liking
- A real-time Impact Widget to embed on your website to show your impact
- A visualization of the projects you have supported in your account dashboard
- Climate Badges based on your achievements
- Soon: a Flight Compensator to offset (business) flights
- And much more!
