THE PUNCH FEATURES
Dungbeetle: How to End Greenwashing
with Unparalleled Transparency
January 2024 – Words & Photography by The Punch & Dungbeetle
In a world where everyone wants to contribute to environmental protection and reduce carbon emissions, a significant problem arises: it's difficult to determine who is genuinely following through on their promises. This issue is particularly pronounced in the carbon market. This is where Dungbeetle steps in, providing a trust-based solution. Dungbeetle actively supports small-scale carbon projects, collaborating with genuinely climate-friendly initiatives to combat the problem of greenwashing that has plagued the voluntary carbon market.
INTERVIEW
Meet Freddie,
Co-Founder of Dungbeetle
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START THIS PROJECT?
"Dungbeetle was initially conceived as my Greenstone project, which is the end-of-year project that all graduating seniors must complete at Green School Bali. I observed that while everyone is concerned about their carbon footprint and eager to offset it, carbon offsetting has unfortunately become associated with scams, leaving people unsure about whom to trust. The desire to offset carbon emissions and be environmentally responsible is widespread, but trust has become a significant issue in the carbon markets. Building upon this challenge, we established a system that works with local projects to ensure the credibility of our carbon offsetting solutions. We achieve this through data analysis, crowd verification, blockchain technology, and similar methods, essentially creating a system that fosters trust. I co-founded this company with three fellow Green School parents. We presented our idea at an event similar to a TEDx gathering, attended by about 600 people, as part of our graduation. Since then, I have completed my education and Dungbeetle has evolved into a fully-fledged company."
HOW DO YOU CURATE YOUR ECO-WARRIORS?
"Green School and the Green School community provide us with most of our projects; it's a community filled with genuine individuals who are already making a positive impact for the right reasons. Su-re.co is a perfect example of the type of company we aim to partner with. We seek out companies like Su-re.co that are doing genuinely commendable work. They are comprised of scientists who excel in their field but may not have the same level of expertise in promoting or selling their work. This is where we step in, forming partnerships to help them in that aspect.
Companies like Su-re.co could potentially operate at a corporate carbon credit level at some point, but this typically involves costs ranging from $100,000 to $150,000. Su-re.co may not currently have the scale or resources for such endeavors, and it would take them many years to reach that level. Our mission is to level the financial playing field when it comes to impactful initiatives, allowing Su-re.co to achieve greater and faster positive impact than ever before."
WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED ON THIS JOURNEY?
"The purpose of our dashboard is to showcase the authenticity of our eco-projects. As mentioned earlier, we achieve this through several methods, including crowd verification, which involves real images of your eco-projects. These real images could encompass your Biodigester, your forest, your mangrove, your Terra Filter, or any other relevant project. For instance, if a farmer using your Biodigester takes a photo and uploads it to our dashboard, you can view it in real time. Similarly, if a farmer uses their stove five out of seven days a week, we collect and display all that data clearly to show you precisely how much the farmer is utilizing their biogas, among other details.
This entails visualizing and presenting a range of complex information in a way that is intuitive and easily understandable to users. We aim to ensure that readers can trust our data without needing to delve into the underlying mathematics or data intricacies. Our user interface and user experience are designed to make this process seamless. The overarching goal is to consolidate all information into one accessible location, allowing users to quickly grasp the key details at a glance. This has posed a significant challenge, but our objective is to streamline and simplify the presentation of data."
"We are essentially a green tech data company. Our mission is to ensure that as a customer, you can place your trust in the eco-projects you are engaged with."
COULD YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT YOUR TRACKING SYSTEM?
"Our dashboard relies on data sensors and open-source carbon methodologies. We use the information we gather to provide our customers with a transparent dashboard that enables them to verify that their carbon offset funds genuinely support the eco-projects of their choice.
Let me explain this with the example of the Biodigester. The dashboard operates by monitoring a particular eco-project, which is uniquely identified by a blockchain certificate. This blockchain certificate serves as a digital certificate that cannot be duplicated, ensuring that carbon offsetting is specific to the individual who purchased it.
The dashboard retrieves data from a specific Biodigester equipped with a flow meter. This flow meter is powered by a small solar panel and functions similarly to the flow meter in your household electricity system, measuring consumption. Inside the flow meter, there's a SIM card that records biogas consumption and various other metrics within the Biodigester. This data is then transmitted to our systems. Subsequently, we integrate it into our dashboard using our backend system, allowing anyone to stay updated on the status of their specific Biodigester."
COULD YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT THE MARKETING TOOLS FEATURED ON DUNGBEETLE'S WEBSITE?
"Our marketing tools are designed for customers who wish to share their involvement in Dungbeetle's initiatives. We make it easy for them to convey the full story, whether it's about carbon offsetting, biodiversity enhancement, supporting farmers in going organic, or any other aspect. Our aim is to foster a more comprehensive and meaningful relationship between customers and their contributions to positive change. We want to move beyond a simple financial transaction where you pay for carbon offsetting without truly understanding where your money is going.
The marketing tools we provide offer a user-friendly way for our customers to engage with and contribute to positive causes they care about, whether it's carbon offsetting, increasing biodiversity, cleaning up the oceans, or any other endeavor. Our goal is to build an authentic community of individuals who share a passion for doing good. At the heart of what we do at Dungbeetle is storytelling; it plays a significant role in our mission. We believe in the power of storytelling to help individuals and organizations communicate and connect around these important topics."
WHAT KIND OF BUSINESSES ARE YOU LOOKING TO COLLABORATE WITH?
"Dungbeetle primarily collaborates with SMEs and individuals who are committed to taking control of their sustainable journey. We partner with brands such as Potato Head, Grün, and Bambu Indah, as well as numerous Green School parents. Our preference is to establish an open network resembling a community of individuals who work together. This approach fosters a sense of collective involvement, where everyone shares a common goal of doing good and supports one another in finding solutions. This collaborative spirit aligns with the essence of our mission, creating an environment we aspire to cultivate."
WHAT ARE DUNGBEETLE NEAR FUTURE GOALS?
"Our goal is to bypass the traditional carbon markets, ensuring that funds are directed towards genuinely impactful initiatives and supporting small-scale eco-warriors. We are determined to eliminate greenwashing. With all our technology in place, we are now initiating a sales push to gauge the impact we can achieve. Simultaneously, we are in the process of onboarding the next set of companies we plan to work with. Terra Water is one of these companies, enabling people to sponsor local terracotta filters for families with children under five. Another project we are in the process of onboarding involves mangrove reforestation. Our primary aim is to expand our impact and reach."
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