Cogo

Cogo

Supporting Cogo to bring carbon tracking
to Japan’s banking apps

Supporting Cogo to bring carbon tracking to Japan’s banking apps

Problem

Cogo is a carbon footprint management product that helps individuals and businesses to measure, understand, and reduce their impact on the climate.

Cogo is a carbon footprint management product that helps individuals and businesses to measure, understand, and reduce their impact on the climate.

For their Japan market entry, Cogo were looking to understand the how the financial services landscape is distinct from places like New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom where they’d already delivered their solutions successfully.

Japan has a series of challenges for fintechs to navigate – from slow moving financial institutions to fragmented payment methods, trust and privacy expectations, shifts in sustainability consciousness, and a rapidly ageing population.

Cogo were looking for a partner to increase their understanding of both how to influence Japanese banks, and the extent to which customers are ready for carbon tracking in their financial apps.

For their Japan market entry, Cogo were looking to understand the how the financial services landscape is distinct from places like New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom where they’d already delivered their solutions successfully.

Japan has a series of challenges for fintechs to navigate – from slow moving financial institutions to fragmented payment methods, trust and privacy expectations, shifts in sustainability consciousness, and a rapidly ageing population.

Cogo were looking for a partner to increase their understanding of both how to influence Japanese banks, and the extent to which customers are ready for carbon tracking in their financial apps.

Carbon Tracking

Cogo integrates with banking apps and calculates your carbon footprint based on your transactions, providing nudges towards more sustainable behaviours.

Approach

We collaborated with the Cogo team to conduct a research study into the intersection between financial and sustainability behaviours in Japan.

We collaborated with the Cogo team to conduct a research study into the intersection between financial and sustainability behaviours in Japan.

This was mainly a quantitative study conducted with a representative group of 1966 participants in Japan who use bank and financial apps, supported by additional research and synthesis to expand on our findings.

Our activities and synthesis during the study were focused on:

  • Increasing Cogo’s understanding of customer behaviours and attitudes around finances and sustainability, particularly in relation to carbon tracking

  • Mapping a high level view of the financial services landscape and where to focus efforts

  • Identifying insights to use in conversations with banks and financial institutions

  • Helping build the business case for Japanese banks to partner with Cogo

  • Supporting Cogo at fintech and sustainability community events

This was mainly a quantitative study conducted with a representative group of 1966 participants in Japan who use bank and financial apps, supported by additional research and synthesis to expand on our findings.

Our activities and synthesis during the study were focused on:

  • Increasing Cogo’s understanding of customer behaviours and attitudes around finances and sustainability, particularly in relation to carbon tracking

  • Mapping a high level view of the financial services landscape and where to focus efforts

  • Identifying insights to use in conversations with banks and financial institutions

  • Helping build the business case for Japanese banks to partner with Cogo

  • Supporting Cogo at fintech and sustainability community events

40%

Bank and financial app users in Japan would like their apps to help them measure their carbon footprint (after viewing Cogo UX).

41%

People expect their banks and card providers to do more to reduce their climate  and environmental impact.

20%

People have already made changes to their lifestyles to reduce their climate and environmental impact.

21%

Interested in points and offers for making sustainable choices.

Outcomes

The study found there is an unmet need for sustainable products in the financial services industry, with a rise in conscious behaviours, and a high desirability for tools like carbon footprinting.

The study found there is an unmet need for sustainable products in the financial services industry, with a rise in conscious behaviours, and a high desirability for tools like carbon footprinting.

Cogo were able to use the insights from the study to adapt their strategy for Japan, with insights around the complexity of the payment landscape informing a change in the banks and fintechs they were targeting.

When engaging with a prototype of the Cogo user experience a large cohort of people shifted from neutral to positive in their responses, with nearly 40% of participants wanting the feature in their financial apps. Significantly for Cogo business case, 41% expect their banks to do more to reduce their climate and environmental impact.

Cogo were able to use the insights from the study to adapt their strategy for Japan, with insights around the complexity of the payment landscape informing a change in the banks and fintechs they were targeting.

When engaging with a prototype of the Cogo user experience a large cohort of people shifted from neutral to positive in their responses, with nearly 40% of participants wanting the feature in their financial apps. Significantly for Cogo business case, 41% expect their banks to do more to reduce their climate and environmental impact.

Get in touch

Get in touch if you’re interested in partnering with Cogo and would like an introduction to the team. Download the research summary from the Cogo website.

Get in touch if you’re interested in partnering with Cogo and would like an introduction to the team. Download the research summary from the Cogo website.

Contributors

Fabric

Nico Leonard

Strategic Design Director

Ai Yamanaka

Senior Strategic Designer

Kentaro Sekine

Senior Program Manager

Jeffery Phonn

Data Strategist

Jiro Tatsuno

Business Director

Cogo

Kaz Udagawa

Japan Country Head

Josh Dry

Director Enterprise Solutions & Partnerships, North America & Asia-Pacific

Verena Wimmer

Head of Behavioural Science & Insights

Tu Vy Do

Behavioural Science Researcher

Jody Boshoff

PR Manager APAC

Julie Lindenberg

CEO APAC

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We’re here to help solve your biggest problems.

Talk to our new business team today.

We’re here to help solve your biggest problems.

Talk to our new business team today.

Copyright Ⓒ Fabric ファブリック 2025

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Copyright Ⓒ Fabric ファブリック 2025

Nakame Gallery Street J4
2-45-12 Kami-meguro
Meguro-ku
Tokyo 153-0051
Japan

Copyright Ⓒ Fabric ファブリック 2025

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