Despite its protective status, one-third of the world's nature reserves are under threat from human activity. It's hard to stop industry from destroying our planet, but we can stop the machines they use. Code of Conscience is open source software that restricts the use of heavy-duty vehicles in protected land areas.

The code uses open source mapping data from the United Nations World Database on Protected Areas in conjunction with on-vehicle GPS tracking technology to autonomously restrict deforestation crews from entering protected zones.

A small, low-cost chip has been developed to equip the code into older, non- GPS models. The software is available for free on CodeofConscience.org.

An invitation comprising the Code of Conscience chip embedded in a wooden sculpture of an endangered animal was sent to the CEOs of the world's top ten construction equipment manufacturers, urging them to adopt the code for all new machines leaving their factories.

Chief Raoni Metuktire--the most prominent Native Brazilian leader and a living symbol of the mission to preserve the rainforest and its indigenous culture-- affirms the urgent need for action: "May all heavy machine manufacturers and leaders come and see this. So that the tractors operate, but stop when they reach our land, our forest and so it continues to exist. It is for our awareness and for the forest to stand up."

Links: https://www.codeofconscience.org

Team:

AKQA: Tim Devine, Hugo Veiga, Pedro Araujo, Daniel Kalil, Adam Grant, Gerard Mason, Dr. Jaehyun Shin
Tekt Industries: Matthew Adams
Support received from: AKQA, Nordic Semiconductor, Tekt Industries, Popoke by Eduardo Castanheira and Natalia Rocha, Horda, Hefty, Underdogs, Webcore, Arizona, La Carretera, The End, Prodigo

Code of Conscience. Launched in the second half of 2019, the Code of Conscience is a collective of designers, engineers, industrial and governmental partners led by Tim Devine, Hugo Vega, and Adam Grant.