Head Boy turned Entrepreneur
Peter Kirby (RPS 2004-2010), Head Boy Turned Entrepreneur
At Rydal Penrhos, we endeavour to set students up for life, not just for the exam season. Our goal is to give all of our pupils the confidence they need to strike out on their own into the world of work.
A brilliant illustration of this ideal can be found in Peter Kirby, former Head Boy and cofounder of Tred, the UK’s first and only green credit card.
During his time at Rydal, Pete was closely involved in the school community: he captained the sailing team and the 1st rugby squad; he was both a junior prefect and head boy; and he took part in numerous debates as part of the public speaking team.
Even after he left Rydal to attend Durham University, Pete continued to contribute to school life, playing alumni Rugby for the Rydal Vikings for a number of years.
Tred was created to help people understand the real impact their choices have on the planet.
Everything we buy has an environmental cost, from our daily coffee to our weekly food shop.
However, we are often ignorant as to the extent of these costs: just how much ecological damage am I doing by buying that bottle of almond milk? That t-shirt from Primark? That litre of Armagnac?
Tred keeps track of these costs for us, as the app calculates exactly how many kilograms of carbon are ejected into the atmosphere per purchase. This helps the individual consumer reduce their carbon footprint in the long term, as it allows them to make more informed decisions about the sustainability of their shopping list.
Recently, Tred has expanded their operation by crowdfunding the creation of the UK’s first green credit card. They managed to raise more than £1,000,000 – far surpassing their initial goal of £400,000.
As Peter said in an interview with the Evening Standard, ‘The aim is to become the financial platform to help you live more sustainably […] Tred gives you information on your environmental impact that no one else does.
Every time you tap the card, you’ll know you’re doing good for the planet as we put profits into sustainability projects across the globe.”
With every purchase, you will help Tred plant a tree, as their profits fund reforestation projects, not fossil fuels.
Tred has also introduced something called “Carbon Coach” , which gives users personal tips and tricks for becoming more eco-friendly.
And, further down the line, they would also like to open Tred up to investment schemes like wind farms and green technology firms.
Today, when both the titans of industry and the average individual are increasingly interested in green alternatives, Tred seems very timely. We can only hope that we will hear more from them in the years to come. Good luck, Pete!
For more information about Tred, visit their website at: https://www.tred.earth/about
