CO2NSCIOUS

TitleCO2NSCIOUS
BrandBACK MARKET
Product/ServiceBACK MARKET
Category A07. Use of Real-time Data
Entrant BETC Paris, FRANCE
Idea Creation BETC Paris, FRANCE
Production WEBQAM Saint-Étienne, FRANCE
Credits
Name Company Position
Stéphane Xiberras BETC Chief Creative Officer
Benjamin Le Breton BETC Creative Director
Arnaud Assouline BETC Creative Director
Matthieu Bouilhot BETC Copywriter
Marie Glotin BETC Art Director
Josselin Bondoin BETC Digital Project Director
ElectricityMap ElectricityMap ElectricityMap Data Provider

Why is this work relevant for Creative Data?

The core mechanism at the heart of CO2NCIOUS is connecting datasets to raise users’ awareness about their smartphones’ environmental impact. By matching users’ smartphone personal data (localization and phone battery consumption) with bigger datasets (energy mix providers data, CO2 emissions of energy sources/kWh) we were able show what sources charge their phone every time they plug in their device, making them conscious of their environmental impact. Data – through machine learning projections based on past days analysis – also allowed us to empower users by telling them when to charge their phone, to limit their CO2 emissions.

Background

Back Market is the European leading marketplace of refurbished smartphones. Every year, we offer a second life to thousands of smartphones through refurbishment, in order to use fewer natural resources. However, the environmental impact of phones is not only limited to manufacturing; it is also a matter of how we use them. According to research (Digital Power Group, 2019), using a smartphone can consume up to as much energy as a refrigerator. With 3.8 billion smartphones currently in circulation, it leads to an important part of the global energy consumption, as well as a significative amount of CO2 emissions directly related to our use of smartphones. But people are not conscious of this when they plug their device. So, thanks to date, we found a solution to show them what is powering their smartphone in real time, and how to charge it better to limit its impact on the planet.

Describe the Creative idea / data solution (20% of vote)

Most consumers are willing to decrease their impact on the planet but are not conscious of the impact of their smartphone use on the environment. That is why we created CO2NCIOUS, a new tool that reduces your CO2 emissions every time you charge your phone. Electricity comes from a variety of energy sources (coal, natural gas, wind, hydraulic, nuclear etc.). These sources vary over the course of the day and constitute what is known as the energy mix of your charge. With the CO2NSCIOUS Android widget, Back Market allows you to know in real time the different sources of energy that power our phones as well as their associated carbon impact, every time you recharge your phone. From this energy mix, CO2NSCIOUS is able to inform you of the most optimal times to recharge your device in order to generate the least CO2 emissions in the hours to come.

Describe the data driven strategy (30% of vote)

The challenge for us was to prove that our commitment to care about the environment while selling smartphones was real. As we already tell customers how much CO2 they are saving when they buy a refurbished smartphone on our website, we had to go one step further. While people know that a smartphone’s hardware has an environmental impact, not all of them realize that this impact continues every time they charge it. In 2007, the carbon footprint of the mobile phone industry represented 1% of the global carbon footprint; by 2040 it will exceed 14%. By creating a solution that can be accessed by most smartphone users on the planet, we proved our commitment of a sustainable approach to the smartphone industry. Instead of alarming facts, we preferred a pragmatic solution through data to empower all smartphone users that want to take action against CO2 emissions on a daily basis.

Describe the creative use of data, or how the data enhanced the creative output (30% of vote)

CO2NCIOUS is a free mobile app available on Google Play Store, that helps you fight CO2 emissions every time you charge your phone. Thanks to a mix of… - your localization data (to know where energy sources should be analyzed) - energy providers datasets (to know the mix of energy sources powering your location), - environmental datasets (to know the CO2 emissions level per kilowatt-hours associated to your mix) - your phone battery level (to know how much time you can wait before repowering your battery) - and a predictive machine learning algorithm based on past days analysis, …CO2NCIOUS tells you every time you plug in your device what energy sources are powering your battery, the CO2 emissions level of you charge, and when to charge it in the upcoming 12 hours to trigger less CO2 emissions, by using more renewable sources.

List the data driven results (20% of vote)

Our tool was available for free on the Google Play Store, and preinstalled on all compatible refurbished smartphones sold on our website. Our source code was published on open source platforms and sent to major smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung via Twitter in order to help them integrate it as a future preinstalled feature. •2500 downloads in the first 24 hours from USA, France, Germany, Spain, UK with no media support. •29324 cumulative total days of use after one month (=80 years) •1.8 kg of CO2 emissions saved on average per user (-19%) •Open source code sent on Twitter led to more than 5000 interactions (likes, reply, retweets) in one hour •3700+ free source codes downloaded on GitHub in Total, leading amateur and professionals to find new device to implement our solution. •0€ media invested •56 articles generated in Tech and Environmental media in Europe, Asia, USA and Australia