Intuit QuickBooks launches Climate Action Marketplace to help small businesses actively reduce their carbon footprint

LONDON, Nov. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its commitment to help 30,000 UK small businesses make climate pledges earlier this year, Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), the global technology platform that makes TurboTax, QuickBooks, Mint and Credit Karma, has today launched its Intuit Climate Action Marketplace™ – designed to convert commitment into action.

It comes as Intuit also announces a new commitment to help 1 million U.S. small businesses cut their carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.

In August 2021, Intuit QuickBooks pledged to help 30,000 UK-based small businesses declare their climate commitment through the SME Climate Hub and United Nations Race to Zero Campaign. Now, through the Intuit Climate Action Marketplace, any small business and entrepreneur can move from commitment to action by selecting climate-positive solutions for their business.

Aimed at small business owners in both the UK and the US, The Intuit Climate Action Marketplace is an online destination that provides resources to small businesses to reduce their carbon emissions at scale, while also helping them save money and grow their business. With this marketplace, small businesses can find more sustainable choices to replace high carbon emission activities with no extra hassle, time or cost.

Chris Leahy, Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer at Intuit QuickBooks, says:
"As the financial platform for tens of millions of customers around the world, we have a unique ability to drive collective climate action and support small businesses in their pursuit of achieving net zero.

"The small business community has a critical role in building a better and more climate-positive future. We are delighted to have the chance to support them in this – with the right tools to improve their climate credentials, SMBs can increase their sustainability and make a tangible positive impact on the environment."

Small businesses represent 90%^[1] of the global business population, however they are relatively less involved in efforts to mitigate climate change than larger corporations. Sustainable solutions are often out of their reach due to costs, or deprioritised against other small business needs. A September 2021 QuickBooks Small Business Index Report^[2] found that nearly all small businesses—a whopping 97%—would like to take action in the future to be more environmentally responsible.

The Intuit Climate Action Marketplace highlights creative climate solutions to millions of business owners who want to reduce the carbon footprint of their small or medium-sized business. Small business owners and entrepreneurs can access products and services from 12 initial solution-providers across the energy, travel, food waste, commuting and procurement sectors. Intuit will continue to add other relevant categories and solution-providers over time. 

"Small businesses are the backbone of the global economy and can collectively help us make big strides in solving the climate crisis," said Cassie Divine, Intuit Senior Vice President of QuickBooks Platform. "We are committed to empowering our small business community to make a measurable, positive impact on the environment, while also helping them run their business more effectively. Climate change is a palpable issue, and the new Intuit Climate Action Marketplace makes it easier for small business owners, self-employed individuals and entrepreneurs to get connected with climate solutions."

Solutions offered on the Intuit Climate Action Marketplace are designed to be simple alternatives to typical business operations solutions, making it feasible and simpler for small businesses to replace high carbon-emissions activities with more sustainable solutions, often at an exclusive discount. Founding solution-providers on the Intuit Climate Action Marketplace include:

• Octopus Energy for Business (UK): 100% green energy provider
• Red-Inc (UK): eco-friendly office supplies
• Goodwings (UK/US): net zero business travel booking
• Edenred Benefits (UK/US): commuter benefits and micro-mobility solutions
• Too Good To Go (UK/US): mobile application that connects customers to restaurants and stores that have surplus food
• Tradewater (UK/US): refrigerant management provider
• Rheaply (UK/US): resource exchange (circular economy) platform provider
• EnergySage (US): renewable energy solutions marketplace
• Sendle (US): carbon neutral shipping carrier
• Allumia (US): energy efficiency as a service (EaaS)
• Aspiration (US): Plant Your Change plants a tree by rounding up the change on every swipe of a customer's debit or credit card
• Copia (US): technology platform that allows businesses to safely donate their excess food, access enhanced tax deductions, and receive powerful data to inform food purchasing decisions

With the launch of this marketplace, Intuit is committing to helping small businesses align to the United Nations Race to Zero pledge, a global campaign to rally leadership and support to commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 at the latest. 

"Intuit has created a unique pathway for small businesses to take climate action and align their climate goals with the United Nations Race to Zero pledge," said Maria Mendiluce, CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition, the partnering agency to the United Nations responsible for recruiting small businesses for the campaign. "We're all striving toward the same goal at COP26 and beyond-- we're asking small businesses to take the pledge, commit to a plan, proceed with immediate action and publish progress at least annually."

To learn more, visit intuit.com/climatemarketplace. Signup for Intuit's Small Business Climate Positive Beta program here, or email sustainability@intuit.com with partnership-related inquiries.

About Intuit

Intuit is a global technology platform that helps our customers and communities overcome their most important financial challenges. Serving approximately 100 million customers worldwide with TurboTax, QuickBooks, Mint and Credit Karma, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to prosper. We never stop working to find new, innovative ways to make that possible. Please visit us for the latest information about Intuit, our products and services, and find us on social.

^[1] WorldBank: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/smefinance /

^[2] https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/inspiration/small-business-insights-sep-2021/  September 2021

SOURCE Intuit Inc.