What is a CoolDrivePass?
Buying a CoolDrivePass is a simple, affordable, and effective method to reduce the negative impacts of driving on the climate. Every purchase of a CoolDrivePass not only plays a role in fighting global warming by preventing and removing greenhouse gas emissions from the air but also contributes to local sustainable development in the project's surrounding area.
By purchasing a CoolDrivePass you are paying for "removing" the amount of carbon dioxide your car emits each year from the atmosphere. This is done through investment in high quality local and international carbon offset projects. Therefore the actual emission output of your automobile remains the same and no physical modifications are made to your vehicle.
In addition to walking, cycling, using public transit and carpooling more efficient driving and properly inflating your tires can also reduce carbon and other pollutant emissions of your automobile. The less fossil fuel you burn, the less carbon dioxide and pollutants you emit. For those unavoidable emissions there is the CoolDrivePass.
We are committed to providing sustainable, efficient and cost effective solutions to the growing community of people who actively contribute to sustainability by taking responsibility for their impacts.
Who is it for?
CoolDrivePass is for those of us who care for the environment and want to minimize our impacts in an affordable and cost effective way. Buy a CoolDrivePass to empower us to invest in high quality renewable energy and emission reduction projects on your behalf.
How does it work?
Our team has been finding and initiating projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We make sure these projects provide social as well as environmental benefits and that they are reasonably priced.
You buy into these projects to reduce the emissions by an amount equal to that produced from your car. We provide calculators for you to estimate your annual vehicle emissions.
What is included in my CoolKit?
By purchasing a CoolDrivePass, you will receive the following:
- The good feeling of taking action towards mitigating a serious environmental problem
- An e-certificate verifying the amount of carbon dioxide your purchase has reduced from the atmosphere and showing that you're a part of a growing community of people who actively contribute to sustainability by taking responsibility for their actions
- The hip CoolDrivePass "climate friendly auto" window sticker -Display the sticker to show the world that you're committed to reduce the environmental impacts of your driving, and help spread the word!
How can this be so inexpensive?
CoolDrivePass aggregates the small purchases of all its members. This gives us considerable financial power. The key concept behind CoolDrivePass is to help tip the balance to make clean energy projects cost effective, reducing carbon dioxide emissions with minimal investment while meeting our additionality requirements.
For example, let's take an energy intensive low income housing project. Installing Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP: a renewable energy technology that utilizes heat from the earth's core through wells and heat pumps) and energy retrofits could provide a significant reduction in the energy bill of its tenants. Replacing natural gas used for boilers and electricity use will result in a lot less carbon dioxide being put into the atmosphere. Normally such projects need to meet a minimum payback period requirement for investors to provide funding. If this minimum is not met the projects will not be implemented.
This is where the funds from your CoolDrivePass purchase comes in, providing the additional money needed to shorten the payback period of the GSHP and energy retrofit projects to meet the investors' requirements. After the much needed push from CoolDrivePass funds, the project now makes good economic sense for investors and can be fully funded and proceed.
By combining your funds with those of other CoolDrivePass customers, and investing your funds in projects like this, CoolDrivePass uses it's financial leverage to drives projects forward, past their tipping point of economical feasibility. CoolDrivePass pools the purchases of its members to make projects happen that would not have gone ahead otherwise.
Will I have problems removing the stickers?
No! Our stickers are printed on Ultra Cling Film which works like typical static cling stickers (stickers that will cling to flat or smooth substrate without the use of an adhesive) but has a new generation micro spear coating that clings to more types of substrates than static cling. They can easily be removed.
Is CoolDrivePass a permit to pollute?
Definitely not! CoolDrivePass is one way individuals can actively contribute to sustainability by taking responsibility for their impacts. It should be considered together with emissions reduction measures and does not replace them. Examples of such measures are driving less by walking, cycling, using public transit, and carpooling, only flying when necessary, energy efficient appliances, and in general a less carbon intensive lifestyle. The less fossil fuel we burn, the less carbon dioxide and pollutants we emit.
What if I drive a Hybrid vehicle?
Hybrids have reduced greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions in comparison to conventional vehicles and are in harmony with our goal of allowing individuals to take responsibility for their impacts on the environment. However even hybrids emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere on average about 2 tonnes per year and all hybrids cost a few thousand dollars more than a conventional car with similar features and are not yet a viable option for everyone. In general, the greater fuel efficiency of a hybrid driven 20,000 km per year saves the owner on fuel cost, time taken up by re-fuelling, and emits less pollutants. Yet, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, once we count up all those savings each ton of CO2 saved by the hybrid costs about $150 more than a CoolDrivePass.
For those of us who can afford them, hybrids along with a CoolDrivePass can be an important step towards our commitment to combat global warming. A CoolDrivePass is for everyone, independent of what they drive.