How we do our bit for the climate
Right from the start, we have had the clear ambition to build the best account app in Switzerland – and one that does not come at the expense of the environment. Since 2021, we have been working with the myclimate foundation to calculate the CO₂ footprint of neon accounts and contribute to a climate protection project. In 2026, we are going a step further: we are now calculating the so-called «Corporate Carbon Footprint Light» (CCF Light for short) for the 2025 emission year. This means that we are including not only the footprint of the neon accounts, but our entire corporate impact in the balance sheet. Find out here what this means in concrete terms and which climate protection project we are supporting with it.
What is the «Product Carbon Footprint» of an account?
In short: myclimate has calculated how much greenhouse gas emissions a neon account causes per year. The calculation covers the entire life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials for the account card, through app programming and server operation, to the disposal of the card.
What is neon's «Corporate Carbon Footprint Light»?
The PCF looks at a single neon account. The CCF Light goes further: it calculates the total emissions caused by neon as a company: the operation of our offices in Zurich and Belgrade, business travel, our infrastructure, our purchased services. The «Light» stands for the fact that we do not account for every single emission category, but only those that we can actually measure reliably. What we cannot measure, we do not include, instead of working with vague estimates.
So, how many emissions does a neon account cause per year?
According to this year's report from myclimate, a neon account caused the following emissions in 2025:
Total emissions including app use: 1.20 kg CO₂e per year
Important to understand: although it is called that, this figure includes not only the neon account as a product, but also a proportional share of the entire operation of neon as a company, as mentioned above. The balance sheet per account has decreased compared to the 2024 update, which is actually counter-intuitive: we had more accounts in 2025 than ever before, namely around 244'000. But our infrastructure, such as servers or IT systems, remains largely constant. The more accounts share this foundation, the lower the emissions per account.
Where do these emissions come from?
The emissions are distributed across the following areas:
Procurement of services: 64.1% (0.77 kg CO₂e), including banking services from Hypothekarbank Lenzburg, IT infrastructure, servers, and licences
Operation of our own locations: 21.0% (0.25 kg CO₂e), split between our offices in Zurich and Belgrade
App use by users: 8.0% (0.10 kg CO₂e, shown separately)
Transactions: 5.2% (0.06 kg CO₂e)
Account card incl. disposal: 1.7% (0.02 kg CO₂e)
The result shows clearly: the largest part of our CO₂ footprint does not arise directly with us, but with the services we purchase. As an online service provider that outsources many processes, this is hardly surprising and also structurally difficult to avoid completely. At the same time, we also pay attention to a careful selection of our partners, more on this in the next section.
What are we already actively doing to reduce our emissions?
We are already implementing what is within our sphere of influence:
At the Zurich location, we source 100% green electricity
neon employees work from home two days a week, which already reduces commutes. When the neon team comes to the office, they mostly do so by bicycle or public transport.
When choosing service providers, we specifically take environmental commitment into account: our banking partner Hypothekarbank Lenzburg, for example, also has its own emissions calculated by myclimate and, like us, finances climate protection projects. Therefore, the emissions from Hypi are not included a second time in the neon accounting.
What we are aiming for next: more public transport for commuting, fewer flights, public transport-friendly locations for team events. And of course the further development of this partnership you are currently reading about.
So, how many emissions do we actually emit?
For climate financing, myclimate calculates conservatively, i.e. including an uncertainty margin, so that we cover all emissions actually caused with a probability of 97.5%. As already mentioned, the emissions of Hypothekarbank Lenzburg have already been deducted. What remains to be financed is:
With app use: 0.95 kg CO₂e per year and account, making a total of around 231 tonnes of CO₂e for 243'866 accounts
Which climate protection project do we support?
We support a new project from myclimate in Malawi that contributes to reducing wood and charcoal consumption. The project distributes efficient cookstoves to households in Malawi. Around 90% of the population there still cook on traditional three-stone fires, which consume an enormous amount of firewood and contribute to deforestation. The new stoves reduce firewood consumption by up to 45%. This has a direct impact on the forest, the climate, and the daily lives of local people: women and girls have to spend less time gathering firewood. So far, the project has already saved over 115'000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents. The project is certified according to the Gold Standard and contributes to several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including health, gender equality, and climate action.
This climate protection project complements neon green well, because both approaches tackle the same problem from different sides. With the neon green extension, you automatically plant a tree for every 500 CHF spent on your card, thus focusing on reforestation. The project in Malawi focuses on the other side: it reduces deforestation by using less firewood. True to the logic: cutting down fewer trees here, planting more trees there.
Why myclimate?
The international initiative with Swiss roots has co-developed and supported around 210 climate protection projects in a total of 48 countries around the world since its foundation. myclimate's local anchoring and yet international reach convinced us, as well as their quality awareness, the diversity of projects, and their many years of experience through cooperation with major players, especially in the Swiss market. myclimate uses at least 80 percent of the compensation funds for the projects on site – the rest covers administrative and foundation-internal costs. In addition, all myclimate projects contribute to at least one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Which aspects can you influence as a user?
App use and the number of transactions together account for around 13% of emissions. That is not nothing, after all we already have over 250'000 users at neon. Since these two aspects are already included in the myclimate calculation, here are two tips on where you have the greater leverage:
Live as much as possible according to the motto «Reduce, reuse, recycle». This means: buying less, using things longer, and reusing them always has a greater impact than subsequent climate financing.
Everything you consume and pay for with the neon account causes emissions that are not taken into account in the balance sheet. The 100 CHF spent at the petrol station ultimately generates a larger footprint than 100 CHF in the organic shop. So if you want to actively contribute when paying, neon green is just the thing: with the extension, you automatically plant a tree for every 500 CHF card turnover. You can add neon green to any neon plan, here is all the info about it.
The biggest driver of app use is the manufacture of your mobile phone, not the app itself. You can improve our joint footprint by using your phone longer. We help you with an additional three years warranty on newly purchased electronic products that you have included with your neon plus, global, or metal account. Read more about the warranty extension of your electronic devices here.
