woman paying with her phone at a market

Accelerate the decarbonisation of payments.

An in-depth analysis of ways to reduce CO₂ emissions in payment systems and adapt to the decarbonisation imperative.

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Towards 1g CO₂ equivalent per transaction

As global efforts to reduce carbon emissions gain momentum, the decarbonisation of payment systems has become an urgent challenge. Worldline stands at the leading edge of this movement, having initiated thorough Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) to assess the environmental impact of different payment methods. The study, prepared by Patrice Geoffron (Professor of Economics from the Paris Dauphine-PSL University) and sponsored by Worldline, seeks to quantify and compare the eqCO2 emissions related to the different payment methods (cash, cards, phones) for in-store and online transactions. The findings of this paper underscore a crucial pivot point for payment systems worldwide. With the goal of reaching unparalleled efficiency and environmental savings, our actions today can lead to a more sustainable tomorrow. As we stand on the brink of advancing payment technologies, we have the power to steer the financial sector towards practices that not only benefit consumers and stakeholders but also safeguard our planet.

This paper uncovers the following:

The environmental impact of transitioning from traditional in-store transactions to smartphone transactions.

This analysis compares the environmental impact of traditional in-store card transactions with smartphone transactions. Explore the details to learn how moving away from paper tickets and transitioning to simplified smartphone transactions could substantially cut CO2 emissions and help build a greener future.

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Join us in making payments greener.