The European Innovation Council (EIC) supported EIC beneficiaries in assessing their company’s carbon footprint through the GHG Tool. Spanish-based company Tapp Water, which offers the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions in the water sector, was one of the EIC beneficiaries that joined the GHG Tool initiative. Created within the framework of the EIC Greenhouse Gas Programme (GHG) that ran from January 2021 until December 2022, the GHG Tool proposed mitigation measures and practices compatible with EU objectives. We met with Magnus Jern, Co-founder & CEO at Tapp Water, to discuss his participation, so keep reading to see what he has to say!
Can you briefly describe your role in Tapp Water?
I’m one of the co-founders of the company and I’m also involved in R&D and internal partnerships. That includes looking at things like our carbon footprint and improving the sustainability of our products, improving its efficiency and performance, and making sure that we're working towards our long-term goal of maximising our impact in terms of eliminating the need for bottled water.
Could you describe your innovation and its positive contributions?
So far, we have sold approximately 150,000 filters and our customers have replaced close to 100 million bottles of plastic single-use plastic. Most of the people that use our products replace them. That means that they are reducing the plastic waste from their household on average somewhere between 800 to $1000 per year. That also means a carbon footprint reduction with the average single-use plastic bubble and a carbon footprint of around 250 to 500 grams. There's also the water reduction element because, for each water litre that you produce with bottled water, they consume about 3 litres.
Tell us how participating in the EIC GHG Programme has strategically helped Tapp Water so far.
It helped us look at our carbon footprint: from our office to our operations. Regarding our office, the emissions there are low. Our main emissions come from production facilities. So, we are making sure we are switching our manufacturing plants towards renewable energy. We are making sure that transportation-wise is as sustainable as possible. For instance, our transportation from Asia to Europe is around 30% of our total footprint because it’s done by ship, and there aren’t alternatives to that. But what it made us realise is that for certain things we should really reconsider manufacturing closer to our customers in Europe. Also, we are trying to use more sustainable transportation of the goods to our customers from our warehouses in Europe, etc. These are the things we are looking at.
Did the EIC GHG Tool help you increase your awareness of the amount of GHG emissions generated by Tapp Water? If yes, could you elaborate?
Yes, the tool helps you understand where the carbon footprint comes from and focus on that rather than optimising small things that might not really matter. Therefore, in my opinion, that was probably the biggest thing overall in terms of using the GHG tool.
What is the status of your participation (regarding the Badges & CO2 Neutral Label/GHG Tool initiative)?
We received the first and second badges (CO2 Footprint & CO2 Reduction) and will now do the commitment letter for the next five years.
Did the input received from the GHG experts contribute further towards the green transition journey?
The GHG experts were great. They helped us get the right information and understand where it was available, plus focus on the right things.
What measures did you implement or wish to implement?
Clear communication with our suppliers about our objective: the commitment to reducing our CO2 emissions. We believe this will create a dialogue with them so they can support us in the long run. Apart from that, where we are based, everybody commutes by public transport, walking or riding bicycles to the office. We also don't have any company cars. Our working space is extremely flexible, so there was nothing we could do given we are very well CO2 optimised already.
How did the measures you implemented positively affect your return on investment (economically, environmentally, socially, etc.)?
I hope so, especially when we bring some production to Europe and follow through with the conversations of our factory switching to renewable.
What are the most interesting elements provided by the GHG tool compared to other similar tools?
Having the two badges is great, plus the fact that they are split into different goals that you need to reach to get them. That ends up showcasing your commitment to the cause.
More information
If you are an EIC-funded company worried about the climate and want to reduce your CO2 emissions, you can still use the EIC GHG Tool by accessing the following link.
DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.