The climate crisis is complicated – taking responsibility is not

Monday, May 17, 2021

Jouni Utriainen worked for the mobile games industry for 15 years until he decided it was time to focus on what matters the most – saving the climate. He is the guy behind our app.

Compensating should always be the last option when fighting the climate crisis, but sometimes avoiding, reducing, and minimizing emissions is not enough. That's when it is time to offset.

“It is always better not to spill the milk, than to spill it and then clean it up,” says Niklas Kaskeala, Head of Sustainability at Compensate.

For most individuals, the three main causes of carbon emissions are housing, transportation, and food. Some of these are very easy and inexpensive to address, such as switching to renewable energy at home. Transitioning towards a more plant-based diet, and amending other lifestyle habits such as traveling or shopping, may require a bit more self-reflection.

“The biggest revolution starts in our minds. It is not about sacrificing, it is about making a positive change. Why not eat healthier food or spend time outdoors instead of shopping malls? It comes down to leading a more meaningful life and taking responsibility for the emissions we create,” Kaskeala says.

We have heard many people say that individual choices don’t make a difference when the societal structure is faulty. Kaskeala disagrees. He believes that everything starts with people, and that taking climate action is a collective effort – political and individual actions are not separate things, they support one another.

“Things don’t just miraculously change, we need people to do that. In every institution, government, and company, it’s always people who make decisions. If people don't take action on an individual level, then they are not ready for it, and structural change won’t happen. We need the change to happen on every level,” he says. 

The people’s app

It was the idea of creating a people’s movement to tackle the climate crisis that resonated with Jouni Utriainen when he was deciding on the next steps of his life and career. Utriainen had been working in the mobile game industry for 15 years, including seven years at Supercell. But he wanted to finally pursue his childhood passion, which was to save the world.

“The things that I care about the most are human rights, the climate, and saving the fact-based world. I am a very analytical guy and I understand that if we don’t solve the climate crisis, then nothing else matters,” he says.

About two years ago, Utriainen started working for us on a pro bono basis, fueled by his vision to create the best possible climate mobile app for ordinary people around the world. 

Utriainen knows that the climate crisis can seem like a complicated and abstract matter, which is why he thinks that tackling it should be fun. He used his experience and knowledge, acquired in the gaming industry, to fulfill his mission of transforming climate anxiety into clarity and action.

“We need a global movement in order to save the climate, and the more fun it is, the more people will stick with it. It’s important to stay positive and empowering even when solving a global crisis,” Utriainen says.

The first version of our app has been downloaded over 3 000 times and a new update taking the gamification to a new level is being launched soon. It will include simple yet effective climate tasks that help to minimize your personal carbon footprint .

While the app is based on his design and vision, Utriainen is not working alone. He first collaborated with Luoto Company to create the beta version, and then continued with Compensate’s in-house developers, Peter Hägg and Lennart Binscheck. The colorful visuals were created by Ville Salervo.

“We are not doing this for the sake of creating a new product or making money. We are trying to create an app that is as useful as possible – the only app we need in order to save the climate,” Utriainen concludes.

Are you ready to join the movement? You can download our updated app through the links below. The app is available in most European countries, and more will follow:

Compensate on App Store

Compensate in Google Play

Everything starts with people, and that taking climate action is a collective effort. As an individual, where do you start?

More articles