Local technology company Finger Food leads by example in the fight against global warming

If the temperature of Earth rises over two degrees, the climate will change irreparably. Communities will experience huge displacement, mass migration will rock stable governments, and the planet will suffer from a severe lack of food and water. As world leaders continue to shirk their responsibilities of hitting emissions targets, that scenario appears increasingly likely.

Technology is often held up as the solution. Cleantech companies have engineered everything from wind turbines to hydrogen cars and space lasers to keep the planet on track to meet its climate goals—each with varying degrees of adoption.

The creation of renewable energy inventions is a valuable resource in the fight against climate change. But tech businesses don’t have to pioneer green gadgets to make a real impact to the environment. 

Local mixed reality (MR), artificial intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) company Finger Food has taken that concept to heart. For the third year in a row, the organization has partnered with two companies—the Carbon Free Group, which measures how much carbon a business produces, and Offsetters, a Vancouver sustainability firm that counterbalances emissions by funding greenhouse gas reduction projects.

For the last two years, Finger Food has been awarded carbon-positive status by triple-offsetting its scope one, two, and three transport emissions—meaning that the company has covered its own emissions, the emissions from where the fuel was purchased, and the emissions created by its employees’ commutes. On top of transportation costs, the organization has also offset the energy consumed by its 120 workers’ households.   

“We can’t do business if we don’t have a planet to do business on,” says Ryan Peterson, CEO of Finger Food. “It’s time to take action. The number one contributor to our carbon footprint is gas powered vehicles. We have the technology to make substantial change for the benefit of the planet. We need to move forward with real solutions.”

As well as neutralizing its carbon footprint, the company also makes an effort to create technology that helps clients become more green. Finger Food has worked with energy transportation giant Enbridge to create a way for the business to visualize its pipelines in augmented reality. Previously, groundwater and movement in the earth caused strain on the pipes that had the potential to weaken their structures. The studio’s technology allows Enbridge to see anomalies in the metal and assess patterns before they turn into problems.

Intiatives like these are catching the attention of regional lobby collectives.

“[Finger Food is] a vision of what a truly sustainable organization can be,” says Jae Mather, the director of sustainability at Carbon Free Group. “The intent is on changing the game, where commercial strategy is sustainable strategy.”

Peterson is calling on other Canadian firms to follow his company’s lead, and reduce their carbon footprint in a similar way.  

“I challenge every B.C. business to become carbon-positive,” he says. “We are very happy to offer guidance on taking those important first steps.”

Follow Kate Wilson on Twitter @KateWilsonSays