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Carbon Footprint FAQs

What is a Carbon Footprint?

It’s the impact created on the climate as we go about our daily lives and comes from the greenhouse gases emitted from each decision we make throughout the day – either directly or indirectly. It’s a way of representing your personal contribution to the polluting gases that cause climate change. These gases are often referred to as ‘greenhouse gases’ due to their effect on the planet’s climate. From the type of car you drive to the construction materials of your new wardrobe – it all leaves a footprint. You can find out more in our article explaining exactly what a carbon footprint is. To avoid confusion, it isn’t the same as ‘carbon’ which is a chemical element – we’re more familiar with it in its solid forms: diamonds, graphite and graphene.

What is Open Banking?

Open Banking is a UK government regulation that gives you back ownership of your financial data. Open Banking allows you to import your transaction data securely into other applications that have been authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Please note the following helpful information from the Open Banking organisation:

Open Banking is read-only. No changes can be made to your account unless you specifically authorise a third party to make payments or transfers for you.
You stay in control. It’s always your choice to give a regulated app or website permission to access your data. Changed your mind? Your regulated app or website should make it easy for you to withdraw your consent and let you know how to do so.
You're protected. Apps and websites enrolled on the Open Banking Directory are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or European equivalent. It means there are strict rules about how they operate and keep your data secure.
Find out more information watch the ‘What is Open Banking?’ video or visit their official website here.

How is CoGo using my data?

Open Banking uses secure technology. Cogo works with consents.online, which is regulated and approved by the Financial Conduct Authority. This means your data is securely stored and encrypted so it can only be used for features that are necessary to the CoGo experience.

With your consent via Open Banking, Cogo will help you identify opportunities for you to shift your spending to businesses that better align with your values. We do this by analysing your bank transactions to identify which businesses you're currently shopping with. We never share your personal transaction data with any third parties. We use very aggregated, completely anonymous data to report on the overall impact of Cogo community and to make the case to companies for improving their business practices (e.g. 15% increase in spend at business X by customers who care about the Living Wage).

How do I change or add another bank account?

You can connect as many bank accounts as you wish. Head over to Your Account screen and click "Link another bank account" to connect another bank. If you are having any challenges connecting, please email: feedback@cogo.co
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With Open Banking, you are always in control and can opt in or out at any time. If you'd like to remove a bank account, log into your online banking app and head to settings. This may appear differently depending on the bank.

How does Cogo calculate my carbon footprint?

Your carbon footprint is the carbon emissions that are created by your consumption and lifestyle choices. A carbon footprint is measured in kgs of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) and represents your personal contribution to the polluting gases that cause climate change.
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To calculate your carbon footprint, Cogo first analyses your banking data and matches every transaction to a specific industry (fashion, grocery, insurance etc.). It then multiplies each transaction by an ‘emissions factor’ for that industry to work out the carbon footprint of that transaction. For example, £1 spent at a UK fashion retailer creates on average 1kg CO2e.
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The emissions factors are reduced for certain companies in an industry (e.g. renewable energy providers and second-hand clothing businesses) and the emissions factors for grocery and food spending are reduced based on diet - (e.g. not eating red meat reduces the emissions factor of your grocery spending by approximately 10%). Cogo uses data from the Office of National Statistics as a basis for the diet adjustments.
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To work out your monthly carbon footprint, Cogo totals all the carbon footprints of your transactions in a given month. The average monthly carbon footprint of a UK citizen is approximately 1,000kgs. To avoid some of the most dangerous impacts of climate change, scientists around the world recommend we each reduce our carbon footprints to around 180kgs a month by 2030. It is going to take some effort, but Cogo is here to help!

Why do I need to know my carbon footprint and what does it mean?

Your carbon footprint represents the impact you are having on climate change. Your footprint is defined as the total greenhouse gas emissions, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). In the Cogo app, we call these 'carbon emissions', measured in kilograms. These emissions come from your lifestyle choices, such as how you get around and what you eat. Knowing your carbon footprint helps you make changes to your lifestyle that will lower your impact.

How do you know my carbon footprint if you can't tell what I have actually purchased?

Our emissions factors, which we use to calculate your carbon footprint, assume you buy an average mix of products when you shop. Sometimes this might unfairly inflate your footprint; other times it will understate it. This is imperfect, but it is the best solution available and we believe it is accurate enough.
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Where lifestyle choices can make your footprint consistently lower than average, for example, if you are a vegetarian, we adjust your footprint accordingly.
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In the future, we will let you feed in product-level information, making your footprint even more personalised to you.

What does carbon neutral mean and what is offsetting?

Carbon neutrality is when you have a net-zero carbon footprint, which can only be achieved by carbon offsetting. Through offsetting, individuals and organisations can become carbon neutral by taking action to remove as much carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere that they put into it.
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Offsetting is a way to compensate for your carbon emissions by funding an equivalent carbon dioxide saving elsewhere. Offsetting projects could be native restoration or renewable energy projects, for example, and can be either domestic or international. Read more about the offsetting projects Cogo supports here.

What is 1 kg of CO2e equal to?

1 kg of CO2e is equivalent to a (large) beach ball with a diameter of slightly over 1m (3 feet).
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This is the same amount of CO2e produced by driving an average car 2.5 miles. It's the same as half a litre of petrol, or 128 smartphone charges.

I am only one person, can I really make that much of a difference?

Yes you can! You are a part of a greater movement. In the Cogo app we show you the collective impact of the entire Cogo community, so you can see how all of our individual actions add up to make a huge difference. Collective action is absolutely necessary for us to help our planet, but collective action can't happen without individuals - that's you!

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