Ben and Jerry’s, a company committed to cooling down global warming one scoop of Cherry Garcia at a time, has found a new way to achieve its carbon emissions mission: Blockchain.
The ice cream company is the first major retailer to partner with one of the several businesses attempting to create a carbon-credit system using blockchain tokens.
Carbon credits for consumers, not just companies
Ben and Jerry’s partnered with a company called Poseidon to build carbon credits into every scoop of ice cream purchased — a departure from existing carbon credit models that are accessible only to big business.
Carbon credits (certificates of sustainability that incentivize carbon emission reduction by creating a market for carbon offsets) are usually only sold in massive quantities to companies — but now blockchain-based “micro-transactions” make the same system possible for individuals.
Blockchain takes the brain-freeze out of carbon credits
Using Poseidon’s system, Ben and Jerry’s will contribute a penny per cone to offset emissions — and offer customers the chance to pitch in a penny of their own. Eventually, Poseidon hopes to offer individual consumers an app to track their carbon offsets.
Poseidon’s not the only new kid on the Blockchain. The first “carbon-backed cryptoasset,” Climatecoin, allows consumers to use their Ethereum for good, and IBM recently partnered with Veridium labs to overhaul the corporate carbon credit market.