A new mobile operator in Belgium is promising to lower the carbon footprint of texting, calling and internet surfing.
The new operator Undo is a so-called MVNO – a telecom operator that does not have its own network but leases it from another telecom operator, which in this case, is Orange.
The company's ambition is to undo the human impact of calling, texting or surfing on the internet via mobile networks on the climate. The virtual operator will plant a tree in Congo for each new subscriber to offset its CO₂ emissions and contribute to the reforestation of the planet via the Congolese reforestation initiative Ibi Village.
Customers can also use the app, which tracks the carbon footprint of mobile phone use, to offset their carbon emissions by contributing to CO2 removal initiatives, and to follow how many trees are planted and how much money is collected per project. With this initiative, the company says it aims to appeal to a "young target group concerned with climate and sustainability."
"It is important to create user-friendly technological tools that allow everyone to contribute to major challenges such as climate change in a simple and very concrete way," said General Manager Laurent Bataille. "With Undo, we not only raise awareness of CO2 emissions, but the user sees directly the result of their ecological choices."
The company believes that users are more motivated to choose the sustainable option if a carbon-neutral mobile subscription is offered without an incidence on the price.
