New Year, New Upgrades: Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint in 2025

Make Sustainability Part of Your 2025 Resolutions

At Scope Zero, we believe reducing your carbon footprint is one of the most meaningful resolutions you can make for your well-being, your wallet, and the planet. To kick off the new year, we’re sharing inspiration through the upgrades our team is making with their Carbon Savings Account® (CSA). Let our stories empower you to take actionable steps toward a more sustainable future. But first, here’s a bit about who we are and how the CSA works.

Scope Zero is an all-in-one platform for financial and environmental wellness. Our mission is to reduce personal utility bills and fuel expenses by $300B per year, removing the carbon emissions equivalent of 125M cars from the road.

We created the Carbon Savings Account® (CSA), a financial wellness employee benefit designed to make it simple and cost-effective for employees to upgrade to efficient home technologies and personal transportation. By offering personalized tools, financial incentives, and access to discounts, the CSA helps employees tackle rising utility and fuel costs while reducing their carbon footprints.

How the Scope Zero Team is Using the CSA

We are a passionate group brought together with a shared purpose to help individuals and companies reduce their carbon footprint. Learn about our team and their plans for CSA-eligible upgrades that will reduce their carbon footprint.

Lizzy Kolar: Keeping cool in NYC

Lizzy, Scope Zero’s Co-Founder and CEO, lives in New York City and recently moved into a new apartment. Her new space has an outdated window air conditioner, so she’ll be purchasing an ENERGY STAR certified window air conditioner to stay comfortable during the city’s hot summers.

Lizzy has already implemented several unconventional yet effective upgrades to make her apartment more efficient and comfortable. These renter-friendly solutions demonstrate how small changes can significantly minimize resource consumption:

• Bucket in the shower: While waiting for her shower water to heat up, Lizzy uses a bucket to catch the initial cold water, which she pours into her toilet tank to save water. She has also placed a brick in the tank to further reduce the amount of water used per flush.
• Plastic window sealing: Lizzy applies plastic sealing to windows during the winter, reducing drafts and improving insulation. This simple upgrade enhances comfort and energy efficiency in colder months.
• Sink aerators: By adding aerators to her bathroom and kitchen faucets, Lizzy reduces water flow without sacrificing functionality.

Though these upgrades may seem unconventional, they showcase innovative ways renters can lower their environmental impact. CSA members can work with the Scope Zero team to find creative solutions that reduce their energy and water consumption at home.

Kaitlin Highstreet: Fully electric living

Kaitlin, Scope Zero’s Co-Founder and COO, lives in San Francisco and has thoughtfully optimized her apartment to minimize energy and water consumption. While fully replacing her gas stove isn’t an option available to her as a renter, she found an effective alternative that works—adding a portable induction cooktop. This small yet impactful upgrade will eliminate her reliance on natural gas for cooking, shifting her apartment’s energy use exclusively to the 100% renewable electricity option provided by her utility company. This upgrade not only helps her accomplish her goal of cleaning up emissions but also enhances the air quality and overall health of her living space.

Through previous incremental upgrades like installing LED lights, smart power strips, and sink aerators, Kaitlin has learned how even small changes can create meaningful environmental benefits. She shares, “There’s a lot more that you can do as a renter than you think.” Beyond her home, she furthers her goal of reducing carbon emissions by prioritizing public transit within the city.

Jason Gurney: Heat pumps in the Northwest

Jason, Scope Zero’s Head of Engineering, lives in the Seattle area and recently upgraded his home’s heating system by installing a heat pump. He replaced his outdated 1973 heating system, which was both inefficient and noisy. Since the upgrade, Jason has seen his electricity bills drop to $68 a month during the winter—25% less than in months with similar temperatures. He appreciates how the heat pump operates so quietly and the convenience of controlling it through an app on his phone.

The CSA helped Jason understand his options and the benefits of heat pumps. He values learning about modern, efficient solutions and is excited that this change will have a tangible impact on reducing emissions for years to come. Jason was drawn to join Scope Zero for the opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven company focused on environmental sustainability. He values how much he’s learned about energy use in buildings and what the biggest sources of energy use are. “The CSA is a win-win,” he shares. “You can see why employers and employees like it, and it’s good for the planet.”

Anshul Doshi: Tumbling toward efficiency

Anshul, our Founding Engineer, lives in New York City and plans to upgrade his home’s clothes dryer to reduce emissions by replacing his outdated natural gas-powered model. Through the CSA, he’s been exploring the differences between a standard electric dryer and a more efficient option like a heat pump dryer. With Scope Zero’s employer CSA contribution helping to offset the cost, this upgrade will drive meaningful environmental impact and long-term savings while minimizing upfront personal investment.

With a background in big tech and crypto startups, Anshul joined Scope Zero to find a role that aligned with his values and interest in green technology. He views the CSA as a smart way to encourage climate-smart choices by incentivizing change. He shares, “Often, when people try to convince you to be more green, it’s not very effective. But when access to financial incentives for green purchases is introduced, it makes for an easy decision to purchase sustainable products.”

Drew Harrington: Out with the French doors

Drew, Scope Zero’s Chief of Staff, recently upgraded his home’s exterior French doors after experiencing leaks caused by gusty winds and rainstorms. The project involved replacing three sets of French doors with sliding doors, a more energy-efficient option due to their single-panel track system that fits tightly against the frame, minimizing drafts and air leakage. Drew selected AAMA Gold Label Certified Doors, known for their rigorous structural, water, and air leakage testing, and receiving the ENERGY STAR 6.0 star rating—the highest possible rating. Since the upgrade, Drew has noticed a significant improvement, with his home feeling noticeably warmer and more insulated, reducing draftiness and enhancing overall comfort.

Drew has dedicated his career to advancing sustainability, with a background in environmental science and policy and an MBA in sustainable solutions. His work across climate tech startups led him to Scope Zero, which aligns with his vision of creating positive change for people, profits, and the planet. Drew values Scope Zero’s ability to empower individuals to reduce their carbon footprint while making tangible improvements in their lives. Drew has also made personal choices to align with his goals of reducing his emissions, including going car-free and leveraging public transit within the city instead.

Krupa Shah: Learning from emergencies

Krupa, a Marketing Advisor at Scope Zero, lives in a 1940s-era home in Oakland, California, which lacks many of the modern fixtures and insulation needed for optimal efficiency. With a long list of potential upgrades, this year she plans to replace her gas water heater with a heat pump water heater. When her gas water heater failed almost a decade ago, she was forced to make an emergency purchase with limited knowledge. With the CSA, she is well-informed and aware of new advancements in technology. By installing a heat pump water heater, Krupa will transition to a clean energy source and cut energy use by up to 70%.

Krupa joined Scope Zero to be a part of a mission-driven climate tech startup and was drawn to the personal benefits of the product. While she strives to make choices that minimize her impact on the planet, she acknowledges that she has missed opportunities to improve her home’s efficiency and curb emissions. The CSA provides her with the guidance to confidently make the best decisions for her home and the environment.

Better Choices Can Start Now

We hope these stories kick-start your journey toward a more sustainable future. As the Scope Zero team demonstrates, the CSA makes it easier to take meaningful steps toward your goals, whether improving efficiency, reducing emissions, or transitioning to clean energy.

Interested in offering the CSA at your company? Get in touch with our team and see how the CSA can help accomplish your sustainability goals.