When we made the decision to reincorporate Kickstarter as a Public Benefit Corporation in 2015, we made limiting our environmental impact a part of our charter. Since then we’ve been working to live up to that commitment. Our office has switched to compostable kitchenware and energy-efficient lighting. And we’ve stepped up our support of creators who want to be sustainable in their creative work — launching our Environmental Resources Center, adding environmental commitments to project pages, and spotlighting creative projects made from recycled materials.

Today we’re taking another important step in our commitment to measure, reduce and offset our environmental impact. We’re joining Climate Neutral.

Climate Neutral is a nonprofit organization that will verify that a company has measured its carbon footprint, has taken active steps to reduce emissions, and will offset the entirety of its carbon footprint through verified offset programs. This is similar to the way that organic and fair trade certifications work. Companies that have been verified will be able to use a Climate Neutral label.

Climate Neutral was started by the leaders of two companies that were born on Kickstarter and remain some of our favorite creators: Peak Design and BioLite. We are excited to join with more than 50 other companies — 19 of which are Kickstarter creators themselves, including Allbirds, Moment, and Ministry of Supply — in this growing movement to change the way businesses approach their environmental responsibilities.

At a time when our political systems are failing to put a price on carbon, companies can step in to show that such a price is not only necessary at this moment, but economically smart. Kickstarter is proud to be a part of this critical movement and provide a platform for Climate Neutral to get up and running through their Kickstarter campaign, which you can support right now.

The climate crisis is the most profound and important challenge we face today. We cannot sustain a world where businesses operate, and goods are produced and consumed, without regard for the environment. We hope you will join us in this effort.