Tres Cool, Book.io, Polygon Labs, and Mango Publishing Turn Reading into Climate Action with the World’s First Carbon-Removing Book

New Zealand / 26 October 2023 - In an unprecedented collaboration, Tres Cool, Book.io, Polygon Labs, and Mango Publishing announce the launch of ‘Climate Optimism’, the world's rst carbon-removing book by activist and author Zahra Biabani. Available as a digital book from 25 October on Book.io, ‘Climate Optimism’ not only inspires readers to take action against climate change but permanently removes carbon from the atmosphere with each purchase, making the very act of buying the book, climate action.

Book.io oers a new kind of digital book that can be truly owned and resold, just like a physical copy. This approach gives the reader freedom to do more with their digital book and being digital, it has a lighter carbon footprint. Tres Cool then levels up the sustainability impact, by incorporating its unique carbon-removal functionality into each digital book. Enabling the book itself to be hardcoded to perpetually remove carbon. This is achieved through an automated purchase of carbon removal credits, triggered upon the book's initial purchase and any subsequent resales.

The carbon credits are then retired, tokenised and made available to the end consumer in the form of ‘Cool Factor’ which Tres Cool describes as the "je ne sais quoi” of climate action. Cool Factor acts to close the loop on awareness of individual impact by providing proof, down to the gram of what has taken place and to help make removing carbon a status symbol and climate action feel-good ritual, rather than a chore.

The environmental toll of the publishing industry is hard to ignore. Worldwide, the production of books alone contributes to over 40 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually. With an urgent need and growing consumer demand for sustainability, current solutions fall short. A staggering 60% of consumers are skeptical of sustainability claims, and for many, concern for the planet takes a backseat to lifestyle choices. This collaboration oers a new way forward, demonstrating how new technology can oer products that are not only sustainable but also don't require behavior changes or allow for questioning the validity of environmental benets.

Leanne Bats, co-founder of Tres Cool, shared her excitement; “Together we’ve created a book with impact that ows beyond the last page into real-world action - ditching 'doom-n-gloom' and replacing it with 'read-and-remove’. By programming carbon removal directly into the reading experience, we're showing the potential to transform entire industries - like publishing - into a planet-positive force for change.”