Money plays an important role in our capitalist society. Lots of things come second in front of money since money is versatile and can bring people security, freedom, social status, and many other benefits. Many people devote significant effort to make money. Then people spend their hard-earned money to consume. Because the production and use of goods and services lead to carbon emissions, to some extend, it seems that people make lots of effort only to damage the environment.

Carbon Cash is a fictional currency with "CO2e" as its unit. It is printed out to the consumer after every purchase with the amount equal to the carbon emissions of the corresponding purchase. Carbon Cash is made when people spend their hard-earned money buying things. It mocks money. In contrast, Carbon Cash implies debt and shame, unlike money which implies power and fame; making money is a demanding task but spending it is easy, where as making Carbon Cash is easy but "spending" it might be difficult. As Carbon Cash represents the destruction consumers done to the environment, "spending" Carbon Cash involves actions that actively benefiting the environment, such as upcycling waste, offsetting the carbon emissions by planning trees, and making handprint (originally in German: Handabdruck - activities that pushing the cultural and structural change, e.g., organizing a repair Café, or pushing the city to assign more bicycle streets.). Additionally, Carbon Cash could motivate consumers to shop less or shop more sustainable product to slow down the Carbon Cash accumulation. Also, the accumulated Carbon Cash could push consumers to speculate on ways to improve the environment and engage in activities that allow them to "spend" it.