Cancer diagnosis inspires businessman to launch first zero-carbon … – Stuff

Karim Hussona​ knows nothing puts your life into perspective like a cancer diagnosis.
Three years ago cancer forced the successful businessman to reconsider what he wanted to do with his time and what kind of contribution he wanted to leave for his community.
After talking with his children he realised how climate change was going to be the defining issue for their generation, and tried to think of a way to use his skills, contacts and resources to help the environment.
The result is Zeronet, a new internet service provider business giving customers access to high speed fibre internet with zero carbon emissions.
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While Hussona had now received treatment and was in a much better state of health, this focus on leaving the world in a better place is the driving force behind his new business, he said.
While internet use is not often thought about as a major carbon emitter, most websites produce two grams of C02 per page view, which added up to a lot across an entire country of internet users, he said.
Zeronet aimed to combat this by analysing the carbon emitted by the business and by its customers and off-setting that through growing trees in a native forest and utilising solar panels for clean energy, he said.
Unlike many other carbon-neutral businesses that outsource their carbon offset credits, Zeronet has developed its own carbon credits in-house, he said.
“We’ve planted the trees, we have installed the solar panels. In effect, we are eating our own dog tucker and not only buying certificates but producing them ourselves,” Hussona said.
Zeronet offices and infrastructure are solar-powered, and its network allows customers to reuse old routers to cut down on e-waste and carbon emissions, he said.
The business aimed to cut 5000 tonnes of C02 from the atmosphere every year. To do that Zeronet will need between 20,000 and 30,000 customers.
To make the internet browsing of thousands of people carbon-neutral, the business will plant over 200,000 trees over the next 5 years.
Zeronet internet packages start at $59.99 a month, and five trees would be planted for every new customer that signed up, he said.
Hussona​ hoped the new business would be seen as a call to action to other businesses to look at their own processes and see how they could cut down carbon emissions.
“Every one has the ability to make a small change, that when we add it up together creates a big change. It’s about changing behaviours and picking businesses that reflect that.
“Whether it is your KiwiSaver, your internet or anything. Choosing to support sustainable business can help you have a sustainable life,” Hussona​ said.
In the next few years consumers were primed to judge subscription based businesses like internet providers with the same environmental standards of lightbulbs, heatpumps and other energy consuming goods, he said.
“It is all about saving as much energy as you can, while making sure the energy you do use is generated through renewable means. Eliminating waste, cutting carbon, and generally living a more sustainable life,” he said.
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