What happened?
- Founded in November 2022, Custos Technologies is committed to improving climate change. Co-founder Thomas Yeh applies his engineering background in data analytics and software to develop data-enabled carbon reduction software that can be used by corporations and the public and private sectors to demonstrate sustainable business results.
- In collaboration with the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (ASTAR) and the National Taipei University, the company calculates the carbon footprint data of various environmental actions. It allows employees to fill in their green living practices on the system.
- After accumulating a certain number of points, employees can redeem rewards offered by companies, such as supermarket coupons, and also allow companies to visually see the benefits of carbon reduction, which can be included in their sustainability reports and increase brand value.
- To encourage more sustainable lifestyles, Custos has formed a sharing community with carbon-reducing businesses, such as umbrella repairers, to provide partners with various "shared living" options to increase sustainable living possibilities.
Instead of "carbon footprints," why don't we talk about "carbon handprints"?
Mr. Yeh shared that there needs to be more assessment data in the sustainability field. Most companies talk a lot but do little, and disclosing carbon footprints can be avoided. He hopes to reverse this negative perception and use the "Carbon Handprint" approach to disclose positive changes.
- The term "Carbon Handprint" was coined by the Finnish National Center for Technical Research in 2016 to represent a more active carbon reduction behavior. The algorithm is to deduct the "Sustainable Living Carbon Footprint Value" from the "Original Carbon Footprint Benchmark Value," the larger the number calculated, the lower the load on the earth.
- The Carbon Handprint is also in line with the ESG Carbon Footprint Area. Carbon inventories are categorized into Scopes 1, 2, and 3, with Scopes 1 and 2 requiring mandatory disclosure of direct and indirect energy emissions, such as purchased electricity and process emissions.
- Scope 3 has a broader scope, including carbon emissions from upstream and downstream supply chains, product lifecycle, and employee commuting and business trips. This aligns with the Carbon Footprint's original purpose of encouraging employees to live a sustainable lifestyle.
- According to the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), Scope 3 carbon emissions account for 75% of total emissions, and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has announced that Scope 3 will be included in the framework of disclosure standards in 2022, making the related management all the more critical.
Are they refusing to become a green tool for businesses?
- Custos uses an AI Engine to identify the truthfulness of employees' answers. Taking transportation as an example, if a person writes that they ride a bicycle or take a subway but drives a car, the system will detect whether the speed matches the speed of the vehicle and will see if it is too fast, too slow, or if it stops at a place where it should not.
- In addition, there is also a graphic display to identify uploaded pictures. Assuming that the employee fills in "carry a green cup," the AI will confirm whether it matches the situation. If it cannot be detected, it will be transmitted to the backend for manual identification to optimize the AI decision-making ability.
- Currently, we are discussing cooperation with the Singapore MRT Authority. After integration, we can check the swipe records to increase the credibility of the system data. In the future, we also hope to have bonding cooperation with the Taiwan High-Speed Rail and the Taipei Metro.
What's in the future?
- Mr. Yeh explained that the cost of calculating the standard value is relatively high. There is no global standard for carbon handprints, so the figures calculated by Custos cannot be used for carbon trading. It will be necessary to wait until the number of carbon handprint users increases to a certain number and then do further certification in the hope that one-day carbon handprints will be allowed to enter the carbon trading market.
- Meanwhile, Mr. Yeh also emphasized that the market in the field of sustainability has just begun. Although the measurement standard of carbon footprints has yet to be standardized, it would not be wrong to go into the field of sustainability. As long as we continue cultivating the market, it will naturally emerge later, and its growth momentum should be noticed.
As climate change is approaching and scientists are raising alarms about warming, carbon emissions data is becoming a significant concern for companies, and Custos has seized the opportunity of the sustainability market by focusing on Scope 3 and calculating the actual "Carbon Handprints," helping companies to move towards a sustainable path. Watch the in-depth Salon Talk between Sunrise Medium and the experts.
