UK demo-site partner CSE hosted a workshop centred around the use of apps to shift attitudes and drive behaviour change towards less carbon-intensive lifestyles at local university UWE, Bristol. Students studying an undergraduate carbon modelling module were invited to test the AURORA Energy Tracker, Impact Tool and Giki Zero apps and reflect on their experiences.
“It was a great session very engaging. It was good to compare tools!” Workshop Attendee
What was covered
The session explored the nuances surrounding the term carbon footprinting, including its British Petroleum (BP) based origin. Students were guided through their use at individual, regional, and global scales, including as a carbon baseline for local energy action plans, and as a tool to highlight global consumption inequalities.
Next, students were introduced to the theory of planned behaviour and the elaboration likelihood model, their uses and limitations. Students examined how apps draw on these theories, and whether this makes them an effective tool for mobilising individuals to reduce their carbon footprints.
The apps
The AURORA Energy Tracker app calculates an individual’s carbon footprint based on their electricity, heating, and transport data. The Giki Zero app calculates an individual’s carbon footprint through a quiz, and users can pledge to take various actions based on their results. Finally, students tested the Impact Tool, a community-level carbon calculator, which allowed them to compare local and regional carbon footprints and identify the most impactful areas for climate action.
Discussion points
Reflections on the apps are summarised below:
- The students believed this app was aimed at middle-aged and middle-class users and not suitable for their demographic (i.e., students, young people and renters) (the intended target audience). It was highlighted that the involvement of the target user groups is key at the early-stage development of such apps to ensure they are relevant for their needs/contexts.
- Students would have liked to see more guidance on how to use the app as some parts felt unclear. For example, the app did not provide real-world equivalents to contextualise the data in a meaningful way (e.g. how many boiled kettles is 3 megawatts?).
- Carbon tracking carbon emissions can make you feel guilty about how much energy you are using. Students questioned whether this was a motivating factor; and suggested that the opportunity to incorporate gamification elements – common in many app models – had been missed.
- An app aimed at behaviour change should include ways to support people to find solutions to barriers they face. For example, if they live rurally and need to use a car. This could include information about grants for users to access.
Exploring other carbon footprinting apps was useful to identify what the AURORA Energy Tracker app does well, in addition to where there are gaps and where improvements could be made.
- Students doubted the accuracy of the quiz and felt the app lacked contextual information that would give its information more legitimacy. It was felt that it would be useful to have supporting evidence for calculations made, but perhaps in a more accessible way than is currently provided in the AURORA ‘Near Zero Emissions Citizens Label.
- The app provided a good starting point, but they found some of the recommendations unhelpful as they weren’t related to their daily life. For example, the app suggested not to go on a cruise – an unlikely activity for a young person. This further reiterated the need to consult your user base in the design process.
- Students considered this useful from an energy justice perspective, as it could provide comparisons between regions. This brings to light inequities between the consumptive and territorial footprints of the different regions.
- Impact Tool was considered potentially useful for town planning and climate action planning at a local scale, allowing decision makers to have a baseline of their local area’s carbon emissions and plan their actions to reduce these.
- The Impact Tool was less conducive to individual behaviour change, as it did not provide users with specific information on how their actions could make a difference. This is an area where tools such as the AURORA Energy Tracker may find their niche, if support is offered alongside the energy label.
Is carbon footprinting useful?
There was an enthusiastic response to the idea that carbon footprinting might help create more targeted regional climate action plans. There was more doubt over carbon footprinting on a global scale due to the possibility of misrepresenting data.
Students were also quite sceptical about whether apps would encourage them to change their behaviour, arguing that they would only work for individuals who were already convinced of the need to reduce their emissions.
“Some carbon footprinting tools are better than others” Workshop attendee
However, they viewed a well-designed app as potentially useful in giving practical guidance and information once somebody was convinced.
“Apps can help people to think about their behaviours” Workshop attendee
Whose responsibility is it anyway?
Considering the lens of ‘perceived behavioural control’ (Theory of Planned Behaviour), students argued that when individuals believe “big corporates” are making little effort to cut emissions, it can lead to a sense that their actions won’t make a meaningful difference. This, paired with the UK public’s lack of involvement in decision-making, created a strong sense of injustice amongst the group, and a subsequent reluctance to change their behaviour. Students saw this as a greater barrier to action than simply lacking information on how to reduce one’s personal carbon footprint.
“Larger corporations should be held more accountable regarding carbon footprinting systems rather than on an individual scale” Workshop attendee
An annual survey by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in the winter of 2024 found that 80% of the UK’s public said they were concerned about climate change. However, this session brought to light the long way we may need to go before the public is ready to track the impact of their own consumption. The question remains – one whose shoulders should responsibility fall?
