Unlocking the Benefits of Carbon Offsetting for the FinTech Industry

FinTech: A New ESG Frontier in Digital Finance

FinTech companies are becoming increasingly influential in advancing ESG practices—often outpacing traditional finance in transparency, innovation, user engagement, and sustainability commitments. As digital-native organizations with agile infrastructure, FinTechs are uniquely positioned to lead the charge in climate investment and accountability.

What sets them apart is not just operational efficiency but the ability to turn sustainability into a product feature. Platforms like Klarna and Stripe have already shown how carbon offsetting, green portfolios, and real-time impact tracking can win customers and deepen brand loyalty. In an era where 73% of Millennials and Gen Z consumers prefer brands that align with their values (Deloitte, 2023), ESG integration is more than a compliance box—it’s an impact driver.

The FinTech Carbon Challenge

Although the FinTech sector is digital by design, it is not emissions-free. FinTech contributes to global emissions through the backend infrastructure that powers seamless user experiences. Much of its carbon impact stems from energy-intensive cloud computing and data center usage. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that data centers already account for nearly 1% of global electricity demand—a figure expected to rise by 50% by 2026 (IEA, 2023). As digital platforms scale to serve millions, so do their energy requirements.

Moreover, the indirect emissions embedded in the FinTech value chain—known as Scope 3—are often the largest share. These include emissions from third-party cloud providers, software tools, outsourced developers, and even the financial products themselves. According to CDP (2024), Scope 3 emissions can be 5 to 25 times higher than direct emissions for digital-first companies.

Key points to consider when evaluating the carbon footprint of financial apps:

• Data centers powering apps, neobanks, and trading platforms consume substantial amounts of energy.

• Blockchain and DeFi platforms can generate significant emissions, especially when built on energy-intensive networks.

• Remote teams and cloud-based operations contribute an indirect footprint through their reliance on corporate services.

• Financed emissions from customer investments, lending, and payments may indirectly influence overall carbon outcomes.

Recognizing and mitigating these emissions places FinTech apps at the forefront of the transition to a low-carbon economy. It also gives early adopters a competitive advantage by demonstrating environmental awareness and accountability.

The emissions produced by the digital economy are often difficult to reduce—especially Scope 3 emissions—but carbon offsetting enables companies to take responsibility while pursuing long-term reduction targets.

For FinTech leaders, the path forward is clear: combine climate innovation with product-led sustainability to drive user value, regulatory readiness, and long-term impact.

Why Carbon Offsetting Matters for FinTech Players

Carbon offsetting is the practice of compensating for greenhouse gas emissions by funding projects that reduce or remove carbon dioxide elsewhere—such as reforestation, renewable energy, or advanced carbon removal technologies like ocean alkalinity enhancement. Each verified tonne of CO₂ mitigated through these efforts is issued as a carbon credit, which companies can purchase to neutralize part of their environmental footprint. For FinTechs, carbon credits offer a seamless and scalable way to integrate sustainability into digital products—enabling features like per-transaction offsetting, sustainable investment portfolios, or user-driven climate contributions directly within apps and platforms.

The process is grounded in science and third-party verification. Standards such as Verra (VCS), Gold Standard, Cercarbono, and Puro.Earth ensure that credits are real, additional (i.e., they wouldn’t have happened without your funding), and durable. Many are backed by rigorous methodologies and satellite monitoring to ensure permanence and accuracy.

For example, removing one tonne of CO₂ through a reforestation project in Thailand or ocean alkalinity enhancement in Italy creates one certified carbon credit. By purchasing that credit, an individual or organization can offset one tonne of its own emissions—balancing its footprint and supporting global mitigation efforts.

FinTech Companies Already Using Offsets

Some of the world’s leading FinTechs have already integrated carbon offsetting into their sustainability plans—and even into their customer-facing products. Klarna, the Swedish BNPL giant, committed $13.6 million and supported 53 environmental initiatives through a partnership with Milkywire, including investments in frontier technologies. Meanwhile, Stripe launched its Climate initiative to embed carbon removal into its payments API, raising over $15 million to fund high-integrity carbon removal projects.

These examples illustrate that offsetting is no longer limited to corporate sustainability reports. It’s becoming an integral part of how FinTechs engage users, differentiate products, and future-proof their models.

Integrating Offsetting into FinTech Operations

FinTech firms can offset:

• Corporate emissions (e.g., office operations, travel, tech stack)

• Cloud and blockchain emissions (based on energy usage or network data)

• Customer transactions (e.g., 1% of card purchases)

• Product features (e.g., carbon-neutral portfolios or green loans)

Going Beyond Offsetting: Integration into Product Infrastructure

Leading FinTechs are embedding carbon offsetting into their core product infrastructure—not just using it to address operational emissions.

For instance, financial apps can allow customers to:

• View their personal or business carbon footprint based on spending

• Offset their daily, weekly, monthly, or annual carbon footprint

• Round up payments to fund carbon projects of their choice

• Choose sustainable investment portfolios with built-in offsetting for financed emissions

These integrations transform offsetting from a back-office activity into a compelling user experience. They drive engagement, add value, and reinforce climate alignment at every touchpoint.

Carbonmark supports such integrations by offering API access to all listed projects, enabling their seamless connection into apps, dashboards, or backend workflows.

Case Study: TrueMoney

Ascend Bit Corp, a pioneering blockchain solutions company under Ascend Group—part of the Charoen Pokphand Group, Thailand’s largest conglomerate—has integrated carbon offsets into TrueMoney Wallet, a leading e-wallet in Thailand, using Carbonmark’s API.

This integration empowers over 30 million users to offset their carbon footprint seamlessly and choose to be carbon neutral for 7, 30, or 90 days. By leveraging Carbonmark’s technology and accessing a diverse pool of environmental projects, Ascend Bit Corp has simplified climate action and amplified the impact of its eco-conscious community.

Over the last 3 months, Ascend Bit Corp celebrated real impact made possible by everyday users through our Carbon Credit Purchase Service - available right inside True Money App.

• 5,814 tCO2 offset — that's like planting 387,632 trees

• Now supporting the Thai Forestry Project in Phrae

• Redeemable with TrueMoney Coin

Carbonmark’s Solutions for FinTech

Carbonmark simplifies the purchase and retirement of carbon credits, empowering FinTech companies to integrate climate action seamlessly into their platforms. Here’s how:

Real-Time, Verifiable Offsetting via API

Carbonmark’s API enables instant carbon credit transactions, with blockchain-secured proof of retirement. This gives payment gateway users full confidence that each offset is transparent, traceable, and verifiable.

Access to 25+ Million Verified Credits

Through Carbonmark’s peer-to-peer merchant platform, FinTechs can tap into a vast pool of high-quality carbon credits—certified by Verra, Gold Standard, ICR, Cercarbono, and other leading standards. This allows users to support global climate projects with confidence and ease.

Efficient Pay Per Retirement (PPR) Model

The PPR model allows carbon credits to be retired instantly on behalf of users—eliminating the need for inventory management and ensuring each transaction delivers real-time impact.

Streamlined Offsetting with Automation

Carbonmark automates key processes via its API, reducing manual effort and enabling scale. With advanced reporting tools and a user-friendly dashboard, FinTech companies can manage carbon offsets efficiently and transparently—enhancing their ESG strategies and user engagement.

Powering the Next Generation of Climate-Conscious FinTechs

Carbonmark combines verified carbon credits with blockchain transparency to deliver scalable, credible climate solutions. For FinTech platforms, this means:

• Instant access to credits from trusted international standards

• Public traceability through PolygonScan or BaseScan—ensuring audit-ready integrity

• No intermediaries or markups—just open, efficient market pricing

• Embeddable APIs and SDKs to build climate features directly into your platform

With over 160+ projects listed and millions of credits transacted, Carbonmark is trusted by innovators and sustainability leaders across industries.

Ready to Take Action?

The urgency of climate action is clear—and for FinTechs, so is the opportunity.

By taking early steps to measure, reduce, and offset emissions, you're not just managing risk—you’re creating value, building trust, and leading the transition to a more sustainable and equitable financial system that benefits all stakeholders, including nature.

We invite you to offset operational or financed emissions—transparently and on-chain, or integrate offsetting into your product using Carbonmark’s developer tools.

Visit carbonmark.com to learn more.

Access the Carbonmark’s API integration toolkit: Docs.Carbonmark.com