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The Brighter Planet program sprouted as a service-learning project to mobilize people with the tools to cut through chain-mail type hurdles in the fight against climate change.

Now Brighter Planet has sprung up to partner with leading financial institutions to offer specially designed consumer charge cards that amass one point for every dollar spent (in net retail purchases.) Each point can be redeemed to fund renewable energy projects, and every 1,000 points is estimated to fund one ton of carbon offsets from polluting the environment.

The company earns revenues based on the sale of carbon offsets that would have been emitted by fossil fuels. “With each renewable project we fund, Brighter Planet purchases the rights of those carbon offsets and retire them from the market,” Adler told L’ G. “ Each offset represents a certified greenhouse gas emission reduction – and prevents other energy distributors and utilities from taking credit for any carbon offset created by Brighter Planet-supported renewable projects,” Adler said.    

A consumer card that rewards green and has the potential to benefit every member of the global household, might be a brilliant signal into the new era of green funding. “Would people open their wallets and spend greener?” Adler questions. “If consumers know they can earn offsets to support development of renewable energy projects, yes, they will shop green and with a card that helps build a cleaner energy future.”