Green Exchange

TEAM LEADER

Alexandra Hayles  alexandra.hayles@gmail.com

TEAM MEMBERS

Alexandra Hayles  alexandra.hayles@gmail.com

Gaining ‘green points’ to exchange for preferential treatment and cultural events

Throughout the municipality of Copenhagen, local projects related to the environmental sustainability of the city, are being encouraged. Many are very small and could benefit from becoming more visible and extending their stakeholder base. Furthermore, synergetic opportunities between all these micro projects and business ideas are not being explored.

The idea is to have ‘green points’ or ‘happy points’ that individuals can accumulate and exchange for something that is desirable and also encourages the ‘good life’.

Citizens, or groups of citizens could accumulate points by participating in the above mentioned micro sustainable local projects.  Participation means either volunteering time and skills to these local projects or purchasing their services.

The micro projects include: Introducing bees to the city, greening roofs, sharing electric cars, greening derelict areas, composting in local building communities, growing food, etc.

The largest Danish companies are now obliged by law to report on CSR. This means that there is an opportunity to get these companies involved by offering skills, services, premises and time.

Examples of what points could be exchanged for:
preferential treatment in a number of cultural activities such as concerts: E.G. The organisers of Roskilde festival are constantly looking for ideas to encourage sustainable practices and are open to new concepts.
Access to spaces not usually frequented by the public
Usage of exceptional facilities for private events
rebates to public transportation
virtual world points to encourage youth participation

Points or benefits would be exchanged using the net and mobile phones, iphones. The accumulation and usage of points has to be simple and occur with tools that are available to citizens. The citizens of Copenhagen have a high technological uptake and are used to using ICT and would therefore feel comfortable with using their phones to gather and use points. The phone would be the communications hub. An optional visual  extra would be a wrist-band that changes colour depending on how many points an individual accumulates – the wrist-band would be made with bio-plastics and be updated with the phone.

The benefits of the exchange of points:
strengthens micro projects and allows them to expand
creates bonds between multiple stakeholders
increases the visibility of local projects
promotes sustainable lifestyles
lifts the status of those who participate in society in a sustainable way.
The points act as an incentive for change

Links to local projects:
http://www.2100.nu/