An Overview Of Our Solution
Most people still don’t know what's at stake if the world follows Business as Usual. To change the systems it needs the power and pressure of some 100million informed and motivated people that want transitions to save our world. To reach the public and turn their mindsets to sustainability it needs a powerful tool: USERS part I uses the power and outreach of social networks combined with compelling incentives to reach nearly all (>2billion) IT users: High class entertainment and rewards are used to break social bubbles and shift their interest from video-games and TV to the usually "boring" sustainability topics to change the users' behavior.
These now informed citizens need - to avoid greenwash - a sustainable navigation system: USERS II. Using latest IT it guides consumers to the optimal products with lowest footprints. Personalized and fast.
- Population Impacted: 500million .... 2bilion
- Continent: Europe
Last name
Organization type
Context Analysis
More than 50% are not informed about climate change or misinformed by the media and politicians.*
They are either not aware at all or deny the facts or at least think it’s far away or that the problem is so huge they will not be able to change it. And if we want to buy climate friendly products this is not possible up to now. If there is information it’s mostly green washing.
So the knowledge is not at all where it should be on several levels: The basic climate knowledge, the close connectedness with other areas (UN SDGs) and threats to everyone, the solutions for every day and the information about impacts of what we do and buy. To have a chance to prevent the worst we will have to “DRAWDOWN” the carbon curve. Most of these 100 solutions demand the active participation and behavior change of the broad public – especially in the developed world. This essential outreach can only be achieved in short time by using IT and irresistible incentives.
* https://bit.ly/2ujAmJW
Describe the technical solution you wanted the target audience to adopt
We have to solve several tasks to achieve a broad behavior change:
1. We have to reach >1billion people as critical mass for a change. This will be done by a large collaboration of the UN, search engines and social networks. This in combination with peer pressure, celebrities and religions, fun and prizes will gain high participation:
2. To make it attractive for them to participate every day USERS offers irresistible fun and action (videos, blockbuster, games) – mixed with facts about the issues we face. To make it even more attractive a high jackpot is offered for participation and action.
3. To turn the knowledge into reality we need to help the people – especially during shopping. This needs a fast, individual, easy to understand shopping navigation system. Using Augmented Reality, Big Data, AI and blockchain will allow a holistic universal shopping guide, saving time and money – and the world. There is no confusion with seals any more and 100% product transparency.
Type of intervention
Describe your behavioral intervention
USERS is a 2 step approach.
First we have to address the lack of knowledge, interest and motivation to deal with these issues at all. We have to break their social bubbles that prevent to listen to this “hoax” at all.
To achieve this, we use extrinsic motivation first. Nearly no one can resist a $1million jackpot and few want to miss the high class entertainment. In this a mix of “how precious our world is” will be presented (emotional appeal) and how destructive our behavior is and what each of us can do to stop that.
This should be done partly in VR and the participant is one of the heroes to make it even more immersive.
This part will show that everyone can make a difference and become part of the solution.
Celebrities (Youtuber, actors, religious leaders) will frame this approach to induce intrinsic motivation (social incentives).
This will be added with their social networks and the feeling to belong to a global movement and feel important, being able to shift from being the problem to becoming the solution.
Then we have to change their shopping behavior. That is only possible if they can see a difference between the products.
The shopping guide will navigate them (and procurement) and do all boring and annoying analysis, comparison and decision making in the background-personalized. By saving money and time and nerves it is a no-brainer to use this guide.
"And if it also saves the health and the future of my family it's wonderful."
See www.glesi.org
As needed, please explain the type of intervention in more detail
Using extrinsic motivation in form of rewards and prizes to act in a specific way can be found working effectively everywhere.
USERS can be called an X-PRIZE for everyone.
X-PRIZE.org shows that it is possible to ignite enormous initiatives and action by offering a high prize.
This high incentive is necessary to reach nearly everyone and to make the "boring" issues digestible for them.
This USERS principle could be used for any issue. So not only climate and relevant SDGs but any topic could be conveyed and disseminated.
The shopping guide can be individually personalized - that means each person can adjust their preferences.
This can be GHG footprints but as well energy efficiency, water footprint, child work, quality and recyclability, pollution, health (pesticides, nutrients, vegan,...) and many more, depending on the product category.
Further more there will be a very detailed filter for product features (esp. for technical products) and an AI system helping to find preferences from other decisions.
Describe your implementation
USERS is not yet launched globally. It is a prototype that has been successfully tested at the U. of Kiel.
USERS I aims to reach a global audience to teach them about the background of climate change and the necessity to solve the SDGs to keep the planet habitable. Normally this is done by MOOCs, IPCC reports, conferences or books. But from my own experience – just 1% is interested in such a “lecture”. People like fun and action. So we need to assemble existing videos and create new movies that wrap the key information into digestible entertainment. Example: There are more than 100 million Harry Potter fans who wait for another HP movie. Then add 360° VR it would be even more compelling.
If we offer a $1mill. jackpot for participation this number will increase rapidly.
In these videos (each day) and longer movies (every 2 weeks) the SDG problems AND the possible solutions are presented in entertaining ways and participants are encouraged to take action at home, at work, on holidays, etc. to act as climate detectives and also encourage neighbors to join.
In these videos short questions check if you understood the problem or solution.
Celebrities present the videos and for those who are interested, further facts and information is presented.
In part II we use Augmented Reality to see in real time which product is good for the environment and for the shopper. No bar code scanning. No labels. The products will be tested and ranked by independent scientists. This sustainability search would be a perfect fit for Google et al. This would have a global outreach in few days.
USERS has been very successful in the test in the German funded research project TRANSKOLL at the University of Kiel. Nearly doubling of sustainable or healthy products in the shopping cart due to USERS system. This has to be scaled now to a global launch.
The main obstacle is to find a funding alliance because USERS is so universal that no organization seems to feel responsible.
External connections
Up to now the University of Lübeck has been key partner for the software and the University of Kiel for testing and evaluation. We have many endorsements like UNFCCC, 350.org, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Google etc..
For the global launch we will collaborate with many stakeholders.
There have to be scientists and NGOs of different areas of expertise.
“Green” companies and retailers
IT companies (search, social, Big Data, blockchain, AI,… )
Philanthropists and foundations to fund the launch
United Nations as the “mother of the SDGs”
USERS is the AGENDA 2030 accelerator. This fits to most politics and countries and should become part of their VNCs for climate and SDGs. USERS can also have an effect on elections as USERS is fact driven but can reach those who are normally fact resistant!
Who adopted the desired behaviors and to what degree?
There has been a German BMBF funded research about accelerating sustainable consumption. USERS has been a part of the project TRANSKOLL. At the University of Kiel more than 100 people had to buy products for breakfast.
Those who used USERS had nearly twice as many sustainable or healthy products in their shopping cart than those who did not use it.
https://www.gil-net.de/Tagung/660.pdf S. 131...
For part I there has been no official study run by us but the successful use of extrinsic motivation can be seen at
https://www.xprize.org/about
How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?
Roughly 10% of GHG can be saved just by awareness and slight changes in daily routine without investments. Much more by investments in e.g. better appliances or weatherproofing homes etc.
About 70% of all emissions (and other destructive impacts) are related to consumption (BMU Germany). That means this is the largest knob to turn.
As USERS can on the one side help raise awareness and action in daily life (from change light bulbs or switch off standby to install PV and change utility company) and on the other side change consumption patterns, it will have a dramatic impact on SDGs and carbon emissions in particular.
It will have positive effect on energy demand, meat consumption, fossil fuel divestment, etc. but also on food waste and pushing circular economy and much more.
What were some of the resulting co-benefits?
The USERS education part is universal as the name says. That means it will concentrate on climate issues but will also be helping other environmental and social issues like biodiversity, waste, pollution, healthier diet, less childwork etc. It could also be used as a general education tool to reach the broad public and motivate to learn.
In the long run USERS could be the platform to allow a global carbon trading or carbon/SDG compensation system. This could reduce inequalities between developed and developing countries.
Sustainability
USERS is in the proven concept and prototype phase. It will need a larger Beta Test after some further improvements and integration of more features as the next step. For that a grant or investors are needed. For the global launch after successful testing another grant will be necessary. After approx. a year the USERS platform should be running without external help and be able to create a high revenue. We expect 1-2% of the purchase price will be the fee for participating retailers (comp. to payback card).
Return on investment
It will cost roughly $100 million which depends strong on the movies and games and prizes that will be necessary to attract the large audience. Compared with a theoretical potential of 1% share of all purchased products (28 trillion) this is a good bargain.
Being realistic a revenue of >> $1 billion should be no problem with the right partners
So even just looking at the ROI, USERS would be a good decision.
But also part I can earn money. Questionnaires about behavior and preferences etc. can be sold to interested companies.
Ads for really green products (top runner) could be displayed as well.
How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?
Up to now it has only been used in the research project.
The global launch is just a question of the right partners and about 1 year development/production of entertainment, data creation and the necessary start investment.
As mentioned the next step would be the implementation of further features and creation of generic data for an international Beta Test.
This would need about 300.000.- Euros.
The global launch will cost quite a bit more because we need the entertainment and higher rewards to make it viral globally.
We estimate about 100 million for the first year. Further there will have to be staff to service the navigation system.