Through this partnership, businesses can offer consumers real-time insights into the carbon footprint of their transactions and provide options to support verified environmental projects. The goal is to align routine consumer activity — specifically payments — with broader sustainability efforts, without requiring substantial changes to payment infrastructure.
A significant driver of this collaboration is the increasing consumer expectation for environmental transparency. In a 2023 GlobeScan survey, 63% of respondents identified climate change as a serious concern, compared to 49% in 2003. Additionally, 72% of consumers reported wanting more information about how companies are improving the environmental impact of their products and services. This growing demand suggests a clear shift in consumer values, pressing companies to integrate sustainability more directly into customer interactions.
By offering carbon tracking and the option to contribute to environmental initiatives at checkout, merchants can respond to this demand while enabling consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions.
Optty’s infrastructure supports payment methods in over 140 countries, allowing merchants to access a broad network of schemes, gateways, payment service providers (PSPs), and acquirers. Ekko’s sustainability tools are now available within this ecosystem and can be activated by merchants through a straightforward process — requiring only a one-click activation to begin offering real-time carbon tracking and micro-donation features at the point of sale.
This integration approach is designed to avoid operational complexity while making environmental impact data readily accessible to consumers during the payment process.
Oli Cook, CEO and co-founder of Ekko, commented on the relevance of integrating sustainability into payments:
“Consumers want to make more sustainable choices, and businesses are looking for ways to support them. By working with Optty, we’re aiming to provide an efficient path for companies to include carbon footprint tracking and offsetting, without added complexity. Everyday actions can contribute to broader environmental goals.”
Steven Ritchie, Interim CEO of Optty, noted the alignment with the platform’s broader objectives:
“Optty was designed to provide flexibility and control in payment integration. Expanding that to include sustainability tools is a logical progression. By collaborating with Ekko, we’re enabling businesses to offer a climate-conscious option that supports engagement while contributing to environmental efforts.”
