CASE STUDY
The Wazoku Journey to Leading Change in Sustainability
Calculating and offsetting 100% of Wazoku carbon emissions sets a high bar for climate action in the software space
Wazoku is an idea management platform company working to change the world one idea at a time. Offering a suite of products, including an open innovation marketplace and a proprietary idea management software, Wazoku works with the likes of NASA, Microsoft, and HSBC. The company became carbon neutral certified with RyeStrategy through our comprehensive service offering in 2019.
On a Mission to Become a Sustainability Leader
After being challenged to go carbon neutral by their competitor IdeaScale, Wazoku rose to the occasion and partnered with RyeStrategy to complete the process. Sarah Counts, Wazoku COO, spearheaded this endeavor with the greater goal of making idea and innovation management software the first carbon neutral industry. Sarah believes in not only driving initiatives that educate those around us, but also in helping drive the right initiatives around sustainability to create a future for our planet.
“I believe that business, consumers and most of all, money will have to be the driver for change now,” Sarah shared. “I’m fortunate to be part of a business that cares about sustainability and wants to do our part and I believe that if we are innovative and can lead from the front, more companies will follow. More consumers will be educated about making the right buying choices and therefore money will lead to the change that the world needs to see. I’m passionate about trying to make a difference and this is just one little thing we can do to help.”
Sarah’s commitment to corporate sustainability stems from growing up in Los Angeles and being exposed to common environmental issues at an early age, helping drive her interest in learning more about how to advocate for sustainable changes on a personal and professional level.
“I’m fortunate to be part of a business that cares about sustainability and wants to do our part and I believe that if we are innovative and can lead from the front, more companies will follow.
I’m passionate about trying to make a difference and this is just one little thing we can do to help.”
Sarah Counts, Chief Operating Officer, Wazoku
Calculating and Offsetting Carbon Emissions
The RyeStrategy team worked with Sarah over the course of 10 weeks to get the company carbon neutral certified. Sarah was responsible for data collection, a large component of the process. For her, there was a lot more data that had to be taken into account to measure carbon footprints than she had known.
Recalling the GHG inventory process, Sarah said, “It’s not an exact science because so much of it is built on assumptions but I recognize this is a new practice for businesses. The biggest challenges for me were collecting data from our office suppliers – our offices wouldn’t give me energy calculations very easily, nor would they give me the details on our fire suppressant systems. Because we work in a serviced office, similar to a WeWork, it wasn’t easy getting some information.”
Wazoku has continued their commitment to carbon neutrality, and is undergoing their certifications for the year 2020. More and more of their customers have asked for insight into their sustainability practices to measure which supplier is the better choice during the bidding process -- Sarah and Wazoku have been able to provide their carbon neutral status as a key part of this conversation. Ultimately, going carbon neutral as an organization has not only been good for the environment, but for business as well.
RyeStrategy was able to complete the calculations of Wazoku’s comprehensive 2019 carbon footprint through a customized Scope accounting methodology. Sarah and the Wazoku team were then introduced to the globally-recognized offset provider, Cool Effect, purchasing 434 metric tons of certified CO2 offsets, successfully achieving carbon neutrality for the 2019 calendar year and earning the RyeStrategy Carbon Neutrality Stamp. Next, the RyeStrategy team provided Sarah and Wazoku with a set of tailored mitigation strategies, ensuring that their carbon footprint and overall environmental impact would be lowered year over year. Finally, Wazoku was supplied with a collection of ethical marketing practices for its newfound carbon neutral status, as well as advice on enjoying the tax benefits earned throughout the process.
An Ongoing Commitment to Climate Action
“More consumers will be educated about making the right buying choices and therefore money will lead to the change.”
Sarah Counts, Wazoku
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