Gojek | GoGreener Carbon Offset

GoGreener Carbon Offset

The global crisis due to COVID-19 taught us that we need to create a daily schedule and build a protection of our ecosystem. One of the efforts that we can make is to protect and increase the air quality through the absorption of our carbon footprint. As the first and largest SuperApp in Indonesia, Gojek continues to create innovative solutions to solve everyday consumer needs. GoGreener Carbon Offset is one of the newest innovations from Gojek, which creates options for you to balance your carbon footprint, or better known as carbon offset.

What is carbon footprint?

Our daily activities, such as the use of electricity and transport, create greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide as well as other pollutants: this is what is called carbon footprint. Too much carbon footprint can affect negatively to our lives, including extreme weather patterns as well as the decrease of air quality.

What is Carbon Offset?

GoGreener Carbon Offset is an effort to balance emissions that we’ve created, with absorbing the carbon footprint to help prevent the negative effects on climate. One of the efforts in absorbing carbon is by planting trees. By planting new trees, we are helping to create a larger green space and improve air quality. The trees that are planted can absorb carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere and return back oxygen to nature.

Partnering with Jejak.in & Lindungi Hutan, Gojek Invites Consumers To Participate In GoGreener Carbon Offset

GoGreener carbon offset makes it easy for consumers to absorb their carbon footprint through tree plantation. With Gojek and Jejak.in’s technology, tree planting activities for carbon offset can be done easily, transparently, and sustainably. Just by logging in to the Gojek app and picking the GoGreener Carbon Offset shuffle card from the main page, consumers can calculate the carbon footprint that they’ve generated everyday and choose the option to absorb their carbon footprint. The calculation of each consumer will then be converted to a number of trees that need to be planted to absorb the carbon produced.

Gojek partners with Jejak.in, a startup providing AI-based and IoT solutions to accelerate climate actions. Jejak.in works with a mapping program that can be used on the desktop or in the mobile phone, either online or offline. With the technology that Gojek and Jejak.in operates, tree planting activities can be done easily, transparently, as well as sustainably. Simply going into the Gojek application and choosing the Jejak.in shuffle card from the main page, you can count the amount of carbon footprint that you produce every day and you can purchase a tree to absorb that carbon footprint.

The collected trees will then be planted by Gojek and Jejak.in’s partner conservator, Lindungi Hutan, an online fundraising platform dedicated for tree and environmental conservation. The Lindungi Hutan team will then do the planting, tree growth monitoring, as well as continuous evaluation reports that can be accessed by Gojek consumers.

In the first phase, these trees will be planted at the Pantai Indah Kapuk Mangrove Ecotourism Area, DKI Jakarta; Bedono Coastal Mangrove Conservation, Demak, Central Java; and Bontang Laskar National Mangrove Conservation, East Kalimantan with mangrove trees being planted. The choice of the tree is based on the ability of the mangrove tree to protect the coastline area from erosion and to become a home for various land and sea ecosystems. More than that, mangrove plants are proven to absorb carbon in large quantities, so it can create a positive impact towards the environment and our lives through the form of better air quality.

For the first batch, trees will be planted in the third week of December 2020. For the next batches, mangrove trees will be planted every 3 months and for the first 6 months, Gojek will double up every tree consumers plant. The progress of tree collection and the tree planting period can be observed through the GoGreener Carbon Offset feature in the Gojek application and also in your payment report email. For the second batch, we will continue the tree planting program to tree adoption.

Calculation Formulation

The method for calculating carbon emissions has been adjusted to the calculation formula according to scientific recommendations of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia and various references from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The parameters required in this method include:

Mileage
Fuel consumption
Emission factor

Meanwhile, the conversion from carbon footprint to the value of mangrove trees is using the growth assumption for trees in a year. Both actual and forecasting data will be shown in the carbon absorption report.

Monitoring & Evaluation

The monitoring and preservation of the trees will be done by Lindungi Hutan, to be executed in a conservation site that has been agreed upon by all parties. Trees that have been planted will also be taken care of by farmer partners and Lindungi Hutan’s community. Reporting of planting and tree growth will be done using Jejak.in’s system. Jejak.in will send an email with a link to the monitoring and evaluation dashboard after 3 months of planting. In the report, consumers can know the location of the planting and further information on the planted tree, such as the tree’s status, height, leaf color, main branch diameter, main branch condition, and the photo of the tree.

Specifically for the first batch, trees will be planted in the third week of December 2020. For the next batches, an estimation date of planting will be emailed in your payment receipt. For the first 6 months, Gojek will double up every tree consumers plant.

The progress of tree collection and the tree planting period can be observed through the GoGreener Carbon Offset feature in the Gojek application and also in your payment report email.

For the second batch, we will continue the tree planting program to tree adoption.

FAQs

What is a carbon footprint?

Our daily activities produce greenhouse gas emissions that include carbon dioxide and other pollutants - this is what we call carbon footprint. Extreme climate conditions and the decrease in air quality due to excessive carbon footprint negatively impacts our lives.

What is a carbon offset?

Carbon offset is an effort to absorb the carbon footprint that we produce, in order to reduce its adverse effects on climate. One way to absorb the carbon footprint is by planting new trees.

How can trees help absorb carbon footprints?

Trees play an important role in the absorption of carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere, as well as the release of oxygen back to nature. The addition of new trees also expands green space which is vital for air quality, and in mitigating the impact of the climate crisis.

How do I absorb the carbon footprint that I produce?

GoGreener Carbon Offset enables you to absorb your carbon footprint by planting trees. With Gojek and Jejakin technology, tree planting activities for carbon offsets can be done easily, transparently, and sustainably. Simply by going to the Gojek application, selecting the GoGreener Carbon Offset shuffle card from the main page, you can calculate your carbon footprint on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, and donate trees to absorb your carbon footprint.

You can calculate the carbon footprint of the use of air conditioners, televisions, refrigerators, laptops, and transportation tools such as cars and motorbikes through the GoGreener Carbon Offset.

Who will plant my tree?

The collected funds will be converted to mangrove trees and planted through Gojek and Jejak.in conservation partner, LindungiHutan. This planting will be carried out in a mutually agreed conservation area.

Where will my tree be planted?

For the second phase, trees will be planted at three locations: Pantai Indah Kapuk Mangrove Ecotourism Area, DKI Jakarta; Bedono Coastal Mangrove Conservation, Demak, Central Java; Bontang Laskar National Mangrove Conservation, East Kalimantan; Mangrove Rehabilitation site Desa Wonorejo, Surabaya; and Mangrove Edupark Tambakrejo, Semarang. GoGreener Carbon Offset will continue to evolve for next phases - both expanding in locations or other forms of carbon offset action.

When will my tree be planted and monitored?

Specifically for the first batch, trees will be planted in the third week of December 2020. For the next batches, an estimation date of planting will be emailed in your payment receipt. For the first 6 months, Gojek will double up every tree consumers plant.

You can see the progress for each location’s planting quota and estimation of planting date on the GoGreener Carbon Offset feature in the Gojek app, as well as in the payment receipt emailed to you.

What trees will be planted?

For the first phase, we will plant mangrove trees at Pantai Indah Kapuk Mangrove Ecotourism Area, DKI Jakarta; Bedono Coastal Mangrove Conservation, Demak, Central Java; and Bontang Laskar National Mangrove Conservation, East Kalimantan; Mangrove Rehabilitation site Wonorejo Village, Surabaya; and Mangrove Edupark Tambakrejo, Semarang. Phase II is continuation from Phase I launched in Sept 2020, with advancements including:

New carbon calculator where you can count your TVs, fridges, air conditioners, and laptops footprint
Two additional locations for wider outreach

Why plant mangroves?

Mangroves have a vast positive impact on the environment, as they can absorb large amounts of carbon.

Aside from having a high capacity for carbon absorption, mangroves can also protect coral reefs from sedimentation and protect the coast from erosion caused by waves, and natural disasters such as tsunamis. Mangrove forest is also a great habitat for a variety of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, such as fish, coral reefs and endangered species.

How does the GoGreener Carbon Offset work?

The GoGreener Carbon Offset program will be divided into several phases. In the initial phase, Gojek invites you to absorb your carbon footprint by increasing the number of trees in the environment. During this phase, the collected trees will be planted at Pantai Indah Kapuk Mangrove Ecotourism Area, DKI Jakarta; Bedono Coastal Mangrove Conservation, Demak, Central Java; and Bontang Laskar National Mangrove Conservation, East Kalimantan. Gojek will also continue to support other environmentally conscious efforts, so that in the next phase, you can take other carbon offset actions.

Will the trees that I plant be maintained?

The Trees will be maintained and monitored by Gojek and Jejakin’s conservation partner, LindungiHutan, in the agreed conservation area. The tree monitoring will be conducted periodically, by using a monitoring system from Jejakin. The system will report the trees’ growth and health, and can be accessed at any time via the link mentioned in the email you will receive once your trees have been planted.

Is there a way to monitor the trees after they’ve been planted?

Absolutely! You can access a monitoring & evaluation dashboard provided by Jejakin, working together with the conservation partner, LindungiHutan. Here, you can see the health status of the trees, even the height and trunk diameter! Photos of the trees will also be provided.

Will the information in the monitoring dashboard be real-time?

Monitoring will be done by LindungiHutan - our conservation partner, 3 times in a year every 3 and/or 6 months, with the following detail:

First monitoring: mid June 2021
Second monitoring: mid September 2021
Third monitoring: mid December 2021

How do forests absorb carbon?

Carbon reserves absorbed by forests are stored into three main components; biomass (the living organisms) such as trees, Necromass (dead plant parts) such as tree trunks that are still upright or have fallen on the surface of the land, and Organic (soil). These three components can be a source of carbon stock for the earth. GoGreener Carbon Offset with Jejakin focuses on calculating the ability of the tree's biomass to absorb carbon.

What method is used to calculate our carbon footprint and its conversion to trees?

The method for calculating carbon emissions has been adjusted to the calculation formula according to scientific recommendations from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia and various references from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The parameters required in this method include:

Mileage
Fuel consumption
Emission factor

Meanwhile, the conversion from carbon footprint to the value of mangrove trees and its carbon stock is referred to the following papers; CIFOR and Klimangrove.

What are the key components that determine a mangrove price?

The price of a mangrove tree covers the mangrove seed purchasing, planting permits, services provided by the farmers for both operational and monitoring fee. The mangrove tree price is decided by our conservation partner, LindungiHutan and East Java Provincial Forestry Service.

Mangrove Rehabilitation site Desa Wonorejo, Surabaya is a location managed by the East Java Forestry Service, where the planting of mangrove trees aims to develop the habitat for mangrove crabs (Scylla serrata). Local residents can take advantage of the area to get additional income with developing the crab ponds.

Tree prices for each location:

Pantai Indah Kapuk Mangrove Ecotourism Area, DKI Jakarta IDR 70,000
Bedono Coastal Mangrove Conservation, Demak, Central Java IDR 44,500
Bontang Laskar National Mangrove Conservation, East Kalimantan IDR 50,000
Mangrove Rehabilitation site Desa Wonorejo, Surabaya IDR 90,000
Mangrove Edupark Tambakrejo, Semarang IDR 45,000