The mark and website are the result of a yearlong collaboration between Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG) and Ion. Count. Cut. Compel. is an educational initiative modeled on the success of the waste reduction movement's three R's campaign (Reduce. Reuse. Recycle).

"This initiative is intended to bring awareness to the role individuals play in climate change, and provide links to resources that will help Count one's contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, provide information on how to Cut GHG output, and resources to Compel others to do the same," said Ion principal David Coates.

Increasing public awareness on climate change and the frenzy over carbon offsetting moved SSG to develop educational tools and resources that address the collective amnesia around opportunities to reduce GHG emissions before they are produced, rather than offset them after the fact. Ion developed the identity and mark for the campaign, in addition to the website creative.

If you can't measure it, it's hard to manage it. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we need to know which activities in our daily lives produce them. The best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Don’t produce them in the first place. Climate change seems overwhelming, but together many small efforts are able to become bigger efforts in confronting the challenge.

"We hope the 3Cs will have a similar impact as the 3Rs did for helping develop a broader societal understanding of what needs to happen to substantively deal with climate change," said Ion principal Rod Roodenburg. "Ion and SSG have developed the slogan and tool and released it to the creative commons, meaning anyone can use it as they see fit."

The www.countcutcompel.com website is meant to provide background on the initiative and a rationale for each of the 3Cs - Count. Cut. Compel. CountCutCompel.com also provides free access under Creative Commons to graphics for those wishing to incorporate the logo and slogan into their own activities. Finally, the site helps direct people to existing websites that contain resources and campaigns related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change.