FAQs

Custos leverages data intelligence to enhance corporate sustainability culture by establishing an infrastructure for collecting and analyzing data. Our focus is on implementing data-driven initiatives that encourage employees to take climate-friendly actions, leaving positive carbon handprints on the environment.

A "carbon handprint" refers to the positive environmental impact or actions that individuals or organizations make to reduce or offset their carbon footprint. While a carbon footprint measures the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with an entity, a carbon handprint focuses on the positive contributions made to mitigate or balance those emissions. This can include activities such as energy conservation, adopting sustainable practices, or supporting initiatives that contribute to environmental sustainability. Essentially, a carbon handprint represents the positive mark left on the environment through eco-friendly actions.

First, obtain the account registration URL from your company administrator. Then, fill in your basic information in order (please remember to include '0' before your phone number). After completing this, you can either scan the QR code on the left side of the page or download Custos directly from the App Store. Remember to log in using the same phone number you used for registration, and you'll be ready to start using it. Alternatively, you can also watch the instructions in the video below:

Carbon neutrality is a state of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be achieved by balancing emissions of carbon dioxide with its removal (often through carbon offsetting) or by eliminating emissions from society (the transition to the "post-carbon economy"). The term is used in the context of carbon dioxide-releasing processes associated with transport, energy production, agriculture, and industry. Although the term "carbon neutral" is used, a carbon footprint also includes other greenhouse gases, measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalence. The term climate-neutral reflects the broader inclusiveness of other greenhouse gases in climate change, even if CO2 is the most abundant. The term net zero is increasingly used to describe a broader and more comprehensive commitment to decarbonization and climate action, moving beyond carbon neutrality by including more activities under the scope of indirect emissions, and often including a science-based target on emissions reduction, as opposed to relying solely on offsetting. Some climate scientists have stated that "the idea of net zero has licensed a recklessly cavalier 'burn now, pay later' approach which has seen carbon emissions continue to soar." Source: Wikipedia

Cultivating a sustainability culture, which involves encouraging individuals and organizations to create more carbon handprints can significantly enhance a company's reputation and brand image. Firstly, it allows the company to differentiate itself and gain a competitive edge in a conscientious market, fostering loyalty and trust among customers. Secondly, embracing sustainability and promoting carbon handprints generates positive publicity, shaping the company as a responsible corporate citizen, enhancing public perception, and increasing brand recognition. Moreover, a sustainability culture aids in attracting and retaining top talent, especially among younger generations valuing socially responsible workplaces, and it enhances investor confidence by aligning with modern ESG criteria. The culture also acts as a risk mitigation strategy, preventing reputation-damaging incidents and building stakeholder trust. Lastly, it fosters collaborations, unlocking partnerships for shared sustainability efforts.

Certainly, integrating sustainability into employee lifestyles can yield financial advantages and cost savings for organizations through various avenues. For instance, encouraging energy-efficient practices like powering down electronics and optimizing lighting can lead to reduced energy consumption, translating to lower utility expenses. Responsible waste management through using reusables, reduces procurement and lowers waste disposal costs. Embracing sustainable commuting options helps cut down on fuel expenses and parking fees, and adopting meatless meals lead to healthier liestyles while reducing food and healthcare costs. While the extent of savings varies, the potential for positive financial impacts through sustainable integration into employee lifestyles is substantial and beneficial for organizations in the long term.

Promoting and incentivizing sustainable behaviors among employees requires a comprehensive approach. Effective strategies include raising awareness through education, leading by example, fostering employee engagement through participation and leadership roles, offering incentives and rewards for notable carbon handprint achievements, incorporating gamification elements, maintaining open communication channels, optimizing workplace infrastructure, providing training, integrating sustainability into performance evaluations, and continuously improving sustainability initiatives that contribute to positive carbon handprints. By tailoring these strategies to the organization's culture, a robust framework can be established to encourage lasting sustainable practices among employees.

Several companies have successfully integrated carbon handprint initiatives into their employee lifestyle programs, yielding noteworthy outcomes: DBS Bank: DBS Bank has been recognized for its strong commitment to sustainability and has implemented various carbon handprint programs. They have initiatives like "DBS Green Day" and "DBS Eco-office" that encourage employees to adopt behaviors contributing positively to their carbon handprints, such as reducing energy consumption, promoting recycling, and minimizing paper usage. DBS Bank's efforts have resulted in significant energy savings, reduced carbon emissions, and increased employee awareness and participation in creating carbon handprints. Google: Google has implemented various sustainability initiatives, including employee lifestyle programs. For instance, they promote sustainable commuting options by providing shuttle services, bike facilities, and electric vehicle charging stations. They also incentivize employees to use public transportation or carpool through discounted transit passes and preferred parking spots. These efforts have resulted in reduced carbon emissions and traffic congestion, contributing to Google's overall carbon handprint goals. Unilever: Unilever launched its "Sustainable Living Plan" to embed sustainability into every aspect of its business. As part of this plan, they implemented employee lifestyle programs focused on reducing waste and promoting responsible consumption. Unilever provided employees with reusable water bottles, eco-friendly lunch containers, and encouraged sustainable commuting options. The company achieved significant waste reduction, lower carbon emissions, and improved employee engagement.

When cultivating a sustainability culture among employees, meaning encouraging them to create more carbon handprints, organizations can encounter several challenges. Strategies to overcome these include building awareness through comprehensive programs, managing resistance with change management, securing leadership support, engaging employees actively, tracking progress effectively, integrating sustainability into workflows, and addressing cultural barriers by aligning goals with organizational values. By addressing these challenges strategically, organizations can foster a sustainable mindset and drive positive change throughout their workforce.

Companies can measure and track the impact of employee lifestyle changes on overall sustainability goals through a structured approach. This involves defining specific sustainability metrics, establishing baselines for comparison, collecting regular data on energy consumption, waste reduction, transportation emissions, and other relevant indicators, analyzing the data to quantify changes attributed to lifestyle modifications, monitoring employee engagement in sustainability initiatives, and utilizing surveys and feedback to gain insights into employee experiences. By evaluating cost savings, conducting comparative analysis, and sharing success stories, companies can transparently communicate the positive outcomes of employee-driven sustainability changes to stakeholders and continuously refine their strategies.

While implementing initiatives to change employee lifestyles for sustainability offers numerous benefits, there are potential risks and downsides to consider: Resistance and Disengagement: Employees might resist or disengage from lifestyle changes, perceiving them as inconvenient or disruptive to their routines, which could undermine the effectiveness of the initiatives. Privacy Concerns: Initiatives that involve tracking employees' behaviors, such as commuting habits or energy usage, could raise privacy concerns and lead to distrust. Cultural Sensitivity: Lifestyle changes might not be suitable for all cultural backgrounds, potentially causing discomfort or misunderstanding. Negative Employee Morale: If not communicated effectively, initiatives might be perceived as punitive or overly restrictive, negatively impacting employee morale and engagement. Resource Allocation: Implementing and maintaining lifestyle change initiatives require resources in terms of time, finances, and personnel, diverting attention from other priorities. Short-Term Focus: Employees might only engage with the changes as long as they are incentivized, leading to a lack of long-term behavioral change once incentives are removed. To mitigate these risks, it's important to engage employees in the design and implementation process, offer choice and flexibility, provide clear communication about the benefits of changes, ensure privacy and data security, and continuously evaluate and adapt initiatives based on employee feedback and evolving circumstances.

Yes. Elevators require electricity to operate, which often comes from non-renewable sources such as fossil fuels. By opting for the stairs, you save energy and reduce the demand for electricity, indirectly leading to lower carbon emissions associated with power generation. While the impact of a single instance may be small, choosing the stairs consistently over time can collectively contribute to energy conservation and a reduction in carbon emissions.

A brand-new smartphone generates an average of 85 kilograms in emissions in its first year of use. Ninety-five percent of this comes from manufacturing processes, including the extraction of raw materials and shipping. After it is manufactured, a smartphone generates an average of 8 kilograms of emissions from usage during its working life, which is most commonly between two and five years. Because manufacturing accounts for almost all of a smartphone’s carbon footprint, the single biggest factor that could reduce a smartphone’s carbon footprint is to extend its expected lifetime.

Custos collaborates with some of our partners through Line to allow users to access their services. To get started, find the product in the marketplace, go to the product details page, click on the Line icon in the contact methods. This will open the official Line account of the service provider. After adding them as a friend, follow the instructions to complete the account linking. In the future, whenever you use the services of that provider, you will also earn leaves on Custos, contributing to carbon reduction efforts. Alternatively, you can also watch the instructions in the video below:

Make sure that GPS usage is enabled in Location settings and that your device has a clear view of the sky, away from buildings, trees, or other obstructions. It can sometimes take a minute or two for the device to acquire a strong signal from the satellites.

Follow these instructions: 1) Force-quit (kill) the Custos app 2) Relaunch the Custos app If the problem still persists, please submit a support ticket and we will look into the matter and get back to you shortly.

Occasionally, GPS issues will cause an activity to be recorded incorrectly, leaving gaps in the data or making it difficult for segments to match. Good data depends on the strength of the device's GPS signal and can also be affected by an obscured view of the sky. Letting the device sit for a minute or two to acquire a strong GPS signal before recording can help record better data.

Dont worry! Mistakes happen all the time. Feel free to resubmit another entry with the correct data. Our backend will detect and verify if all data entered are legitimate, and will null those records as required.

Currently, the Custos app does not allow for any edits to activities. We are working hard on adding this feature. Meanwhile, please submit a new activity entry instead.

Tableware consist of any items that are used in the consumption of meals. This includes all utensils used at the table for holding, serving, and handling food and drink.

We understand that there are many intepretations of what a meatless meal is. Custos is currently only recognizing full meals and entrees that are either vegetarian or vegan. This means meat, poultry (except eggs), snacks will not be considered as meatless meals. Further, Custos is currently not able to recognize any alternative meat and protein meal unless a receipt of purchase providing such verification is uploaded.

For iOS user: The system will prompt you to grant access to health data the first time you enter the "Take Stairs" activity. Choose "Allow," and your "Take Stairs" data will be recorded from that point onward. The system will upload data every day at midnight. When you revisit the page, a pop-up window will display the number of leaves accumulated within the last seven days between your last visit and the current one. If the health settings don't open automatically, you can find them in your device's health settings. Select "Data Permissions & Devices" in the health settings, and you'll see that Custos is already linked. Click on it and grant access to start recording "Take Stairs" data. For Android users: The system automatically captures your "Take Stairs" data when you press "Start" and records it when you press "End." There's no need to adjust device settings. Alternatively, you can also watch the instructions in the video below:

Switching from using disposable bags to using recycle bags helps with saving carbon emissions because it reduces the consumption of a disposable plastic or paper bag. Custos intention is to reward individuals who brings their own bags to replace the consumption of a disposable bag when carrying newly purchased items. As such, Custos currently only rewards individuals who display the use of a non-disposable bags for purpose of carrying newly purchased items. We understand that users may be using disposable plastic or paper bag for multiple times, and treating them like recycle bags. However, as Custos is unable to verify the usage patterns of such disposable bags, we are currently unable to provide reward points for such actions taken.

In Custos activities, the maximum points you can earn are as follows: Ride Bike: Earn 1 leaf for every 1 kilometer, with a daily maximum of 3 leaves. Public Transportation: Earn 1 leaf for every 1 kilometer, with a daily maximum of 3 leaves. Take Stairs: Earn 1 leaf for every 1 floor, with a daily maximum of 3 leaves. BYO Tableware: Upload a photo to earn 1 leaf, with a daily maximum of 1 leaf. BYO Bag: Upload a photo to earn 1 leaf, with a daily maximum of 1 leaf. Meatless Meals: Upload a photo to earn 1 leaf, with a daily maximum of 3 leaves. Marketplace: Earn 5 leaves for each transaction, with no daily limit.

The system will automatically stop after a period of time and record the data.

You can upload up to 3 photos of any size per listing

Do note that activities will only be recorded in Custos app as performed if both parties have acknowledged the activity. Custos does not automatically remove listings from the live marketplace upon completion, as users may have multiple items of similar nature to be offered to other users. Acknowledge activities by following these steps: 1) Requestor(Purchaser) of the listing scans the QR code of the Provider(Seller) of the listing. 2) Requestor(Purchaser) selects and submits details of the item or service provided. 3) Provider(Seller) approves details entered by the requestor(Purchaser).

Currently, the Custos app does not allow for undo-ing a listing as transacted.

In the 'My Listings' section of Marketplace, you will be able to see an 'Edit' button for all listings you have created. Pressing Edit then allows you to make changes to details of the listing.

Currently, the Custos app does not allow for retrieving a deleted listing. We are working hard on adding this feature. Meanwhile, please create a new listing instead.

Currently, the Custos app does not allow for setting a meeting location in-app between users. We are working hard on adding this feature. Meanwhile, all service providers will be required to provide their preferred contact details on their listings. Please reach out to them directly to arrange a meeting location using their preferred contact provided.

No, your listings will stay active until you delete them or change their statuses to 'Draft'.

Custos does not automatically remove listings from the live marketplace upon completion as users may have multiple items of similar nature to be offered to other users. Listing providers are advised to manually delete their listings or adjust the availability date accordingly to reflect actual availability.

Unfortunately, you can only accept one offer at a time.

We currently do not accept any monetary transactions through Custos. Please reach out directly to the other party to coordinate your transactions offline. Do note that marketplace activities will only be recorded in Custos app if both parties have acknowledged the activity. Acknowledge marketplace activities by following these steps: 1) Requestor(Purchaser) of the listing scans the QR code of the Provider(Seller) of the listing. 2) Requestor(Purchaser) selects and submits details of the item or service provided. 3) Provider(Seller) approves details entered by the requestor(Purchaser).

Currently, the Custos app does not allow for in-app conversations between users. We are working hard on adding this feature. Meanwhile, all service providers will be required to provide their preferred contact details on their listings. Please reach out to them directly using their preferred contact provided. If you are experiencing any issues with reaching out to the other party, we encourage you to approach others for the item you are looking for.

"Draft" means that the data for this item is temporarily stored in "My Items" and will not appear on the marketplace. You can choose to "Live" it directly during the upload, or you can change the item's status to "Live" through editing. This way, you can rent or sell the item on the marketplace. Alternatively, you can also watch the instructions in the video below:

When listing an item, you will see two options in the "Audience" field: "Public" and "Private." Choosing "Private" means that only other users within your organization can see this item on the marketplace. Selecting "Public" means that all Custos users can view it. Alternatively, you can also watch the instructions in the video below:

Corporate plans, which includes rewards and benefits, will expire when your employer terminates your plan. However, upon expiration of your corporate plan, you will gain access to our community plan. Community plans will not expire but only includes ecosystem partner benefits and limited rewards.

Users will not be able to use their leaves and trees to redeem rewards in their corporate plan upon termination from their employer. As such, all users are encouraged to use all their leaves to redeem rewards in their corporate plan before termination. After termination, all unused leaves and trees will be assigned to the user under the community plan. Leaves and trees can still be used to redeem rewards under the community plan.

Our subscription plans are limited to limited employees from corporations within our network and as such, we do not support referrals in-app.

Unfortunately, the app currently does not support any edits of your profile and settings. We are working hard on adding this feature. In the meanwhile, contact your company administrator to make edits to your profile through the Custos backend portal.

We are really sad to see you go. Our goal has always been to serve you better. If you are experiencing any issues, we are here to help and would love to hear from you so that we can resolve your issues. If you would still like to delete your account, please inform your employer directly and submit a Delete Account request via Profile > Help Center > Delete Account in the Custos app.

Ensure that you have properly created your account. If the issue persists, don't worry. Please submit a support ticket and we will look into the matter and get back to you shortly.

Ensure that you have created your account using the right phone number. OTP authentication may fail if you have requested for more than one OTP. Use the OTP in the latest SMS received and try again. If you are still unable to authenticate with the OTP received, submit a support ticket and we will get back to you shortly.

You can log out of the Custos mobile app by going to Profile > Log Out.

Please submit a support ticket and we will look into the matter and get back to you shortly.

Your personal data is limited to what is shared by you in-app, and Custos does not disclose any of your personal data (name, contact, address, etc) to third parties outside of the Custos mobile application. Additionally, Custos does not disclose any specific location data to third parties, including your employer. Instead, we use location data collected to calculate distance and assess movements for the purpose of verifying activities. Summary data around your activities on Custos app will be shared with your employer for reporting purposes.

Currently, the Custos app does not allow for linking your account to social media. We are working hard on adding this feature.

Currently, the Custos app will prompt you in-app for your consent whenever use of third-party application data is required and is not yet consented. The prompt will guide you through the steps needed to be done. If you will like to make changes after providing your initial consent, please do so by adjusting your phone settings.

Unfortunately, no. For the safety of users on Custos, every user must have their own account from their employer, with a unique corporate email address registered.

If you have previously logged into Custos on a mobile device successfully, you should theoretically be able to use the services provided by Custos without any issues. However, due to varying network conditions in different regions, we cannot currently guarantee that all functions will operate normally in every location.

We provide our corporate clients with an easy to use dashboard for a high-level overview of the carbon reduction contributions among all their employees using our platform, and their breakdowns. You can use these analytics to make data-driven decisions and for your ESG reporting purposes.

Please refer to our privacy policy for details.

In addition to the rewards Custos offers to all our customers, employers can further incentivize their employees through: - Gift cards - Company swags - Annual leaves - Cash rewards - Other gifts

Upon signing up with us, we will have a dedicated team serving and working closely with you. Any change of employee headcount or personnel details can be communicated directly to the dedicated team for implementation.

Your employer have to provide a pre-approval for you to register an account using a unique phone number and email address. Custos does not encourage any user to have multiple accounts using different phone numbers or email addresses.

76% of employees say sustainability at the workplace is important but companies struggle to improve their sustainable culture. Custos provides a way to enhance your sustainability culture and achieve your climate sustainabiltiy goals while increasing your employee engagement. We help you quantify and report on your progress for reducing carbon emissions through encouraging your employees to live greener lifestyles.

Currently, our main features are as follows: 1) Incentivize your employees and/or community to adopt eco-friendly lifestyles We provide rewards to users for sharing data around eco-friendly lifestyle actions or green marketplace services they engage with. 2) Collect and verify data of actions taken We compile data from various sources through 3rd party integraions to ease friction and increase accuracy of data. 3) Calculate, report and improve carbon impact We calculate carbon avoided and reduced from the eco-friendly actions and provide visualization around the data gathered to help corporates identity gaps in improving their sustainability culture.

Custos focuses on providing the infrastrature and ecosystem to encourage carbon reduction from lifestyle actions using standards based on ISO 14040/44/67 guidelines. Other similar products on the market mainly differs from us in these areas: 1) Standards and guidelines for carbon calculation methodologies 2) Eco-friendly lifestyle actions encouraged 3) Integration with ecosystem partners

Yes we do! Please enter your details and request a demo on our website and we will get back to you to schedule a time for the demo.

Yes, please reach out directly to our sales representative or send an email to hello@custoscarbon.com to learn more about custom plans or packages.

Yes, we have a dedicated team that will work closely with you and provide support for you to use our product with your employees.

Currently, we offer limited integrations with other tools or platforms. We are working hard on providing new integrations. Stay tuned for those! Meanwhile, if you have specific needs, please reach out to us by submitting a support ticket and we will work closely with you separately.

We are constantly improving our product to implement new features based on your feedback. We implement updates on an ad hoc basis to better serve you.

We have 2 categories of sustainable actions: green living and marketplace services, that allow you to earn reward points. Green living includes several daily activities such as taking the stairs instead of elevators, taking public transportation, bringing your own reusable bags, etc. Marketplace services includes engaging in activities that promotes responsible consumption of goods. These include sharing goods and resources in a collaborative way, not limiting to electronics, books, toys, luggage, personal items, etc. as well as repariing products to extend their useful lifespan, not limiting to laptops, cell-phones, toys, luggage, umbrella, etc.

We curate a selection of rewards from sustainable vendors as well as your employer. Such rewards include gift cards, and sustainable goods, etc.

Each sustainable action will award employees corresponding points, known as Custos Leaves, with a daily limit in place. You can use these Leaves to redeem rewards on the "Rewards" page within the Custos APP.

Don't worry. Please submit a support ticket and we will look into the matter and get back to you shortly.

No, your reward points will not expire.

Upon submitting a support ticket for redeeming rewards, we will reach out to you directly around the logistics of receiving the reward you selected.

Custos curate our selection of rewards based on conversations with your employer on an annual basis. Further, rewards can be provided by other members of your organization on an ad hoc basis.

Unfortunately, Custos currently does not support transfer of reward points to other users.

Please ensure that your device is updated to the latest available version before trying to update the app. If that is done and the app is still not updated, please uninstall and re-install the Custos app.

See if your notification settings have been set right. if that is done and you are still not receiving notifications, follow these instructions: 1) Force-quite (kill) the Custos app 2) Relaunch the Custos app If the problem still persists, please submit a support ticket and we will look into the matter and get back to you shortly.