High Five: Changing Our Planet for the Better

Doconomy, the impact technology pioneer, paired with Kayrros, the global asset observation platform, to provide a snapshot of the country’s carbon emission footprint from energy, industry, transportation and domestic flights using outdoor digital displays across Sweden. Having created accessible tools to track climate impact with their 2030 Calculator, they’re now focusing on climate literacy, taking live information to the people and leaning on all the techniques we use in advertising to grab attention and change minds.

Millions of people in Peru still do not have access to running water. They rely heavily on rivers and streams - for drinking, cooking, bathing and also laundry. What do you do when your main supply of water is getting polluted from chemicals in detergents? Create a new kind of probiotic soap that actually cleans the water instead. The soap works by releasing micro-organisms that feed on the pollution, reducing nitrate and ammoniac that spread bacteria that negatively affects humans. I saw this work between the bottled water company and Peruvian start-up while judging at award shows last year, and find myself thinking about it often. This project shows respect and understanding for local culture and heritage and is a great reminder that true innovation exists in the unlikeliest of places.

The Financial Times is read every day by some of the most powerful leaders in business and government. We worked with the FT to create a climate change game, the first in a series of immersive journalism experiences that put the future of the planet in the hands of the readers. Based on real science and reporting, we collaborated with the International Energy Agency to create a predictive AI that calculates and tracks different outcomes for the planet based on 400 choices available to the player. Who better to educate and inform on climate change than the readers of the FT?

In gaming, our virtual worlds come to be as precious to us as physical locations. The bad boy video game franchise 'Grand Theft Auto' handed over Los Santos, their virtual city that is almost identical to Los Angeles, to climate change for Greenpeace. Players were invited to access Los Santos after it had experienced an average temperature increase of three degrees celsius, resulting in floods, air pollution and characters that were easily exhausted and needed to wear masks. This almost-unplayable experience was a stark reminder that we’re facing a similar fate in the physical world.

Leather is one of the most polluting industries in the world, from the climate cost of livestock to the chemicals required in the leather tanning process. When Dole turned its pineapple scraps into vegan trainers with Pinãtex and made a profit from it, we were all fans. Now 200 brands in 80+ countries (including Nike) are using Pinãtex to bust open this market. Is this the beginning of the end for leather? Vegans and climate fans rejoice!