The following SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity. More about the SMART 100.

This innovation initially came to life when…

The founders were searching for the points of greatest inflexion to help move us to a sustainable economy. We realised that to be successful in this goal, we needed to engage consumers, and work to create a new market from the bottom up. Realising that government and corporate action on climate change was in regulation and artificial institutional markets we saw the need for a retail carbon market that everyday consumers could participate in on a daily basis, and trust enough to want to.

WHAT & HOW

The purpose of this innovation is to…

Allow consumers to purchase products and services that have a reduced carbon footprint, and support the building of renewable energy infrastructure in their back yard.

It does this by…

Selling CommunityCarbon Units that represent a defined stake in a community renewable energy project, and a retail level quantity of carbon offsets that allow individuals to reduce their environmental impact whilst supporting their local community.

PURPOSE & BENEFITS

This innovation improves on what came before because…

It allows everyone, everywhere to make a real contribution to our move to a sustainable footprint on the resources of the planet — every contribution (no matter the size) has a direct and transparent impact that we call all see, touch, and believe in.

Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…

Allowing individuals to reduce their carbon footprint for the emissions they cannot avoid, allowing individuals to help their communities install renewable energy for the benefit of the community, allowing communities to take action despite government paralysis.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

In the past, this problem was solved by…

Until now, the only way to participate in building renewable energy or offsets was for you to save hundreds or thousands of dollars to buy offsets or install infrastructure. CommunityCarbon allows you to participate in a real way for as little as $1, as part of your daily purchases and activities.

Its predecessors/competitors include…

Some may consider Greenfleet and the like as competitors, but we see these as not providing a retail solution, nor do they provide the transparency to allow individuals to know where there money is going and for what purpose.

TARGET MARKET

It is made for…

Individual consumers, communities, and corporations with a conscience.

DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY

It is available for sale through…

CommunityCarbon Units are sold embedded in products and services across the nation, sold online, and sold via retail outlets (supermarkets, council offices, small to medium business outlets).

Our marketing strategy is to…

Build brand awareness through the development of high profile projects supported by strong communities and corporate partners. With these strong case studies, we will look to replicate this process through the engagement of community leaders and advocates.

SUPPORTING IMAGES AND/OR VIDEO

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS INNOVATION

While the judging is now officially over, you can still show your support for this innovation in one of the following three ways:

1. Hit the VOTE UP button: Top left of each page (Not available for IE users)
2. Trigger a Reaction: Re-Tweet, Like on Facebook, etc.
3. Leave a Comment: Share the love!

To check out the Anthill SMART 100 Readers’ Choice winner for 2010, click here.