Global payments provider Klarna has launched new ‘conscious badges’ in collaboration with the sustainability tech platform Clarity AI.
Klarna will award up to five of the new conscious badges to tech brands, to recognise those best championing sustainable practices. The initiative enables Klarna users worldwide to access more comprehensive metrics about their electronic purchases. Information on brands’ greenhouse gas emissions and energy derived from renewable resources are available, as well as other metrics.
Klarna awards the five badges based on the following merits and requirements:
- Lower direct greenhouse gas emissions – The company is among the 10 per cent of Clarity AI-tested comparable companies with the lowest direct and energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.
- Lower indirect greenhouse gas emissions – The company is among the 10 per cent of Clarity AI-tested comparable companies with the lowest indirect greenhouse gas emissions.
- Committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions – If the company has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC.
- Disclosing greenhouse gas emissions – If the company discloses direct, energy-related and indirect greenhouse gas emissions.
- Using renewable energy – Over 90 per cent of the energy used by this company comes from renewable sources.
The badges are currently only accessible to consumers after completing an electronic purchase via the Klarna App. However, in the coming weeks, Klarna also plans to make the badges visible to consumers through its CO2e tracker – regardless of whether they have made an electronics purchase, or not.
Klarna celebrating sustainability
Angel Agudo, board director and head of product at Clarity AI, commented on the launch. Agudo said: “The conscious badges are the first-ever assessment of electronics brands’ achievements providing transparency at scale for consumers around the world. We also believe there should be nothing ‘black-box’ about metrics, and we’re excited Klarna can leverage our AI capabilities to provide detailed information for Klarna shoppers who want to know more.
“There are multiple dimensions to ensuring a company is on the right path to net zero. Yes, reduction in emissions is of course key, but so is a commitment and a plan to reduce emissions to truly have an impact of appropriate size and so we wanted to provide consumers with all of those dimensions within the conscious badge experience.”
The new feature follows several recent initiatives by Klarna to promote the environmental achievements of brands. It also aims to provide consumers with the tools and insights they need to shop more consciously and enact positive change for the planet. January 2023 also saw Klarna launch a resell feature which enables shoppers in Sweden to resell their previous purchases directly through the Klarna App.
