Conserv’s Commitment to Sustainability
Since its inception, Conserv has been committed to sustainability. We believe that environmental monitoring is a crucial tool for cultural heritage institutions to be more sustainable, by informing their collections care and energy use decisions with real data on the environmental conditions experienced by their collections. We also know that many institutions care deeply about their wider responsibilities to the planet. As a result, Conserv has always considered sustainability as part of its decision-making process, from its products, to its operations, and its processes and policies.
Today, we are taking a further step in our own journey of sustainability by formalizing many of these principles and setting a net zero target for Conserv.
Conserv’s Net Zero Target
Conserv is committed to achieving Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. This is tied to the Net Zero commitment of AWS, our primary cloud infrastructure provider. To get there, we have developed a carbon reduction plan that will guide us in making consistent progress towards this goal.
Conserv’s Carbon Reduction Plan
Our carbon reduction plan has three key sections:
- Baseline measurements. We are considering Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions as defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. As a remote-first company, we have no Scope 1 or 2 emissions, and therefore the bulk of our footprint is in our Scope 3 emissions. We aim to complete a baseline assessment of our Scope 3 emissions by the end of 2026.
- Existing reduction measures. We already have a number of initiatives that are aimed at reducing or offsetting our emissions. As part of this exercise we captured these so they can be monitored and refined over time. A brief summary of these measures is outlined below.
- Targets and planned reduction measures. Once we have established a baseline, we will begin to identify target reductions that help us on our path towards our 2040 Net Zero target. To achieve these reductions, we will plan specific reduction initiatives. Our plan lays out some areas we expect to be able to implement improvements in, including supply chain and manufacturing; transportation and logistics; business travel; cloud infrastructure; digital tools (including AI); and waste (particularly regarding Conserv devices).
Existing reduction measures
As mentioned above, we already have a number of practices in place that reduce our carbon footprint. Those which are most relevant to our customers are outlined below.
Circular Hardware Model
Conserv operates a subscription model in which sensors can be recalibrated or returned, refurbished, and redeployed every 3 years. Our hardware design is modular, so that damaged components can be replaced without having to discard the other pieces. This approach avoids the common industry pattern of sensors being disposed of at end-of-life and significantly reduces manufacturing emissions per unit over time. Our sensor enclosures are highly durable, meaning they can be reused across multiple sensor deployment cycles, reducing the need for new material.
Energy-Efficient Product Design
Our LoRaWAN sensors are designed for extremely low power consumption, operating on battery for extended periods. This minimises the operational energy footprint of our deployed products at institution sites compared to alternatives using other forms of wireless communication, such as Wi-Fi.
Takeback Programs
Conserv is often deployed at institutions that already have environmental monitoring in place. Where practical, we assist these institutions in minimizing the environmental impact of retiring their old equipment. Examples of this include:
- Refurbishing legacy data loggers such as PEM2s and HOBOs, where possible, and sending them to small institutions who cannot afford modern monitoring solutions, via our partnerships with groups providing services to those institutions, including FAIC, MACC, Treasure Caretaker Training, and Balboa Art Conservation Center.
- Taking back Hanwell monitors so they can be reused in whole or in part by institutions who are not yet able to migrate from this system.
Remote Installation
Conserv’s intuitive product design means that the majority of our customers install the product themselves, with no need for Conserv staff to come onsite. This is a significant improvement from more complex solutions that require technical expertise to install, and significantly reduces the carbon footprint of Conserv by reducing travel.
Remote-First Operations
Conserv has been a fully remote company since its founding in 2018. We have no owned or leased office space and no company-paid co-working memberships, which is the basis for our Scope 1 and Scope 2 assessments of 0 tCO₂e. This also eliminates daily employee commuting for our team of 12 across multiple countries.
Cloud-Based Software Delivery
AWS has committed to net-zero carbon by 2040 and matched 100% of its electricity consumption with renewable energy in 2024. By hosting on AWS rather than operating our own servers, we benefit directly from their ongoing efficiency improvements and renewable energy investments.
Carbon Removal
We contribute a portion of payments for Conserv subscriptions made via Stripe to carbon removal projects via Stripe Climate. To date, we have contributed to 65 projects, representing an estimated 12 tons of permanent carbon removal.
Conclusion
The commitment we are making today is also a reflection of our community’s emphasis on sustainability. We have heard, directly and indirectly, from our customers and supporters that sustainability is important to them. We are excited to be embarking on this journey and look forward to sharing updates on our progress in the future. if you would like more information on our plans, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.
