Scope
Cirrincione et al. present an “Environmental Credits” scheme towards improving the environmental performance of the mobility of the commuter students of University of Palermo (Italy).
Summary
They built and evaluated the effectiveness of a smartphone-app-based method to encourage commuter students to adopt more sustainable transport modes. Daily and annual distances traveled by commuters with the new mobility modes are calculated, and the resulting savings in energy and CO2 emissions are estimated. The smartphone app (TrafficO2) was an info-mobility Decision Support System, encouraged via incentives proportional to responsible choices. Specifically, participants obtained “environmental points” as a reward for their sustainable mobility choices. Each user was asked to log in and take a survey based on which they received a personalised improvement scenario. Based on personal route and mobility modality, the app provided some alternative route options to which some parameters were associated (i.e., travel time, emitted and saved CO2 and burnt calories), along with related O2 points (i.e., a virtual currency). This made it possible for the commuter to immediately know his/her achievable improvement, thus being more stimulated in attaining it. Users could challenge one another by using the app to increase their O2 points and also play, based on the provided information, some sort of a citizens’ game.
The authors also proposed that reduced emissions could be converted in the future, into energy-efficiency credits that the University could use to enter the emission trading system (ETS), in the context of the Italian “TEE” (“Energy Efficiency Credits”) scheme, while the benefits for students participating in the program could consist of reduced fees and free access to university services. In this way, the environmental (and energy) performance of the commuter mobility could be translated into a tangible benefit to the University through the acquisition of “white certificates” (i.e. energy savings calculated as the difference between baseline consumption and post-operam energy consumption). These could be subsequently traded by the University governance in the existing credits market, thus resulting in a win-win scheme.
Relevance for EXIGENCE
Cirrincione et al.‘s paper is related to the concept of EXIGENCE as a practical example of environmental points, implementing primarily behavioral-based end-user incentives, presenting also the possibility of further developing them in the future to economical incentives, both for the end-users and the upper stakeholders. Environmental points are especially relevant with the end-user initiated use cases of EXIGENCE.
- Cirrincione, S. Di Dio, G. Peri, G. Scaccianoce, D. Schillaci, and G. Rizzo, “A win-win scheme for improving the environmental sustainability of university commuters’ mobility and getting environmental credits,” Energies, vol. 15, no. 2, p. 396, 2022.
