Zend's Impact Story
Published by: Faraz Khan
Published on: 09-11-2022
Impact Statement:
At Zend, how we operate is as important as what we do. Everything about our brand is about making life simpler and removing barriers to connected living. There’s no point in being able to Zend money to the other side of the world if we’re not concerned with the wellbeing of the planet.
Financial brands are often considered to put profit before all; at Zend, we’re disrupting how things have been done before. Our brand values are deeply rooted in ethical and responsible behaviour and decision-making, so we’ve put thought and consideration into how we can tread lightly as a company and make the world a better place to live, work, play and Zend.
Is It Too Late?
When faced with the reality of the climate emergency, it’s easy to imagine that there’s no way to slow down, stop or even reverse the impact that of climate change. However, every little decision that we make differently, as a planet, can add up to a big change for the world around us.
Great Goals
When developing our app, we knew that it had to be better than what was already on offer. It needed to be seamless, instant and trusted as a financial product. And, so, we set about making sure that Zend met those objectives. When it comes to our impact on the wider world, we’ve taken the same approach.
As a brand, we feel the same as many others around the world; frustrated, concerned and anxious about the planet’s problem. At first, there was a sense of being overwhelmed by the task ahead, but as we began to define our roadmap to sustainability, we started to understand how many small individual actions could add up to a dramatic difference for the many.
Here’s our thinking:
In October 2021, COP26 had much to achieve and the outcome was the Glasgow Climate Pact. Working in partnership with the Paris Agreement, COP26 closed with a shared objective of aiming to keep global warming to 1.5C. This represents not only a fixed target to work towards but also a shared agreement between nations – even if they’re not yet sure of how they are going to reach these targets.
At this point in history, we already know that working together will deliver the greatest impact and change for good. Working within the framework of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals – the heart of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – is the opportunity for the world to come together and take responsibility for taking care of our own destiny, both individually and collectively. With clearly defined SDGs to work towards, such as #12 Responsible Consumption and Production and #7 Affordable and Clean Energy, consciously taking and making decisions that work towards the goals could get us all there, faster.
At Zend, we believe that it we can all take responsibility for making a difference to the world that we live in, as a company and as individuals.
But we got to start thinking differently.
Change Is Good?
It’s reasonably straightforward to tackle problems by making sweeping decisions, but there has to be room to measure the negative impact that these decisions may also have.
“We need to reduce our use of plastic single-use and otherwise” – How could we have managed the pandemic without plastic, however?
“Let’s stop using fossil fuels” – But, what will become of the billions of people that rely on the energy industry for income, from the car manufacturer to the pipeline maintenance engineer?
“Let’s farm differently” – And what will the billions of people that rely on certain crops for their livelihoods and sustenance do for money and food.
Is there a Plan B ready to go before we dispose of Plan A?
Or is there a different way to tackle this problem altogether?
More Is Less – I don’t know that I can choose between here. A good carbon reduction graphic would work here
Rather than cancel entire industries and the billions of jobs they create around the world, why don’t we work to support reducing old, harmful practices while working towards a new and better way of doing things.
As a brand, that’s what Zend are doing and we want you to come along with us.
At Zend, we’re focusing on reducing the carbon deficit by consciously producing more oxygen. That’s why our brand and app are both intrinsically linked to supporting the UN’s SDGs.
By using Zend, you become part of the solution too.
Every bit counts: An individual effort
To move forward with clear thought, it can sometimes help to take lessons from those who have gone before us. The best investments that you could make to improve things in your lifetime, also need to leave a legacy that will improve the lives of those who will come after us.
Leaving a lasting impact can much more easily be put into practice than you imagine. We only have to look at the forests full of trees planted before we arrived. The same goes for putting in place clean water resources, from a well in one part of the world to a sophisticated system of city sewers in another. So too with education, as we have learnt about the value of creating awareness and how that can filter down from generation to generation.
These principles are at the heart of Zend’s approach to the future. At Zend, we’re investing 2% of all Zend card spending on the following sustainable projects all over the world:
- New Water Resources
- Plantation / producing National Parks in the most effected countries
- Recycling
- Education and awareness
- Supporting researches aligned to COP26 Glasgow conference
But this won’t happen out of sight. Our users can see the difference that they’re making to the world with a tap on the Zend Climate app. What might seem a tiny contribution from one person instead joins with hundreds and thousands of tiny contributions from others that add up to a lasting legacy, making the world a better place for you and the generations to come!
Let’s Zend Together
We’re a sustainably-focused and responsible fintech brand that is committed to delivering carbon neutrality as standard. We’re devoted to investing in projects that make lives worth living, but we’re also going to do this without impacting the existing energy industry. It is critical that we reduce the use of plastics and petrochemicals, but we need to ensure we’re not compromising the livelihoods of others while we, as a brand and a planet, make these changes.
Zend it with love, care and hope for now and for the future.