The data substantiated market opportunity shaping the strategy for DO Black delivers on the Doconomy brand promise: Everyday Climate Action. It does so by connecting individual consumption behaviour data with real time CO2-emissions calculations and impact limit. The limit is calculated with public data, from UNFCCC and World of Data (Oxford) amongst other, to set the limit of CO2 emission from consumption per country/capita in accordance with the urgent 50 % CO2-emissions reduction in UN’s IPCC-report.

In 2018 Doconomy launched a service called DO, a mobile banking service linked to a payment card, creating a profile of a user’s consumption-based climate impact. This profile is created by applying an impact value to categorized products and services (using Åland Index). The platform allows the user to track, measure and offset their impact through a number of United Nations Certified Green Projects, while providing data driven insights to support behavior changes and take climate action through conscious consumption.

The brief was to position Doconomy with limited resources in a crowded fintech environment, as a credible and unique agent for change.

The objectives was to make Doconomy perceived as a helpful solution, resulting in awareness, user adoption and productive partnerships.

Data from our pilot market identified several opportunities. 98% of Swedes believe to be impacted by climate change, and 78% want to mitigate this on personal level. 70% say habits are an obstacle. 65% would switch to a climate smart bank.

We verified data driven insights in workshops with WWF, H&M, Ålandsbanken and Stockholm School of Economics to identify challenges, cultural frame and audience opportunities.

There’s a definite data substantiated emotional driver connected to climate change, but there’s a lack of concrete solutions and tangible data driven tools that engage and activate consumers daily.

DO Black – the carbon emission limit credit card is a radical new tool and innovation tackling the climate crisis, created with individual real time data. It’s the first card with a CO2-emission limit, stopping you from overspending, not based on available funds but on the impact caused by your consumption.

The innovation combines three functions. The ability to measure the impact of every transaction (Åland Index), the set CO2-emission limit with data calculated per country/capita, and the payment system integration of CO2-emission limit overriding the accounts financial credit level.

The technology blocks transactions exceeding the CO2 limit, disables the credit card and notifies the cardholder.

Data gathering:

The strategy was to gather public data from UNFCCC and Our World in Data (Oxford), for a scalable solution, that created undeniable individual relevance as well as precision compliant with the regulations and restrictions in the financial services industry.

Data interpretation

Third party verification of CO2-impact per transaction provided by the Åland Index with leading ESG-data (Thomson Reuters and Sustainalytics) and CO2-emission limit per capita interpreted and verified by leading sustainability consulting expertise.

• Targeting

Strictly individual in real time.

1. A purchase is made in-store/online using PIN or EMV/Contactless

2. The purchase is processed by the merchant, data sent via the Acquirer to Mastercard/MIP and further to the Bank’s Payment Card System.

3. The Payment Card System receives the requests, verifies card, account and PIN, and checks available funds as well as CO2-limit.

4. The Card Transaction Engine calculates the availability of credit as well as CO2 impact through Åland Index.

5. If the purchase exceeds the CO2-emission limit or if there are insufficient funds, the transaction is denied and the card holder is notified. The Card System returns the response to the Merchant (via Mastercards and Acquirer).

The application combines three components.

1. The ability to measure the CO2-impact of every transaction (Åland Index).

2. The set CO2-emission limit calculation. Data provided by UNFCCC and Our World in Data (Oxford). This data is used to calculate the total consumption-based CO2 emissions per capita. This differs between countries and the CO2-limits are updated annually.

3. The payment system integration of CO2-emission limit overriding the accounts financial credit level.

The application blocks transactions exceeding the CO2 limit, disables the credit card and notifies the cardholder. The data enhanced consumer experience builds awareness through individual relevance and aim to contribute to drastic reduction of CO2-emissions from consumption with 50% by 2030.

The CO2-limit innovation is a scalable stand-alone application, adaptable to different markets, relevant all credit card and payment solutions. The CO2-limit, although mandatory on DO Black, can be offered as an optional function on existing accounts.

Intention to make Doconomy perceived as a (1) helpful solution, (2) resulting in awareness, (3) user adoption and (4) productive partnerships.

1. “DO Black” is in production with CO2-limit per country/capita calculated.

2. Awareness built with earned media reach of +20.000.000 and keynotes at sustainability/fintech summits worldwide.

3. All initial targets have been exceeded, with 4 000 user registrations in Sweden alone.

4. +40 banks worldwide and credit card companies have reached out to discuss collaboration. Ms. Espinosa, UNFCCC has a publicly endorsed Doconomy and Mastercard has defined Doconomy as “the future of sustainable payments”.