Green Guide App by Swedish Society for Nature Conservation

With the Green Guide mobile application the Swedish Society of Nature Conservation aims to help consumers consume sustainably and to make environmentally conscious decisions. The advice presented in the application intends to allow consumers to shift to a more sustainable lifestyle and to increase awareness of climate change and its link to consumption. The main objective is to present information in an easily accessible and attractive manner. The Green Guide App by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (Naturskyddsföreningen) functions as a database that contains useful information on consuming sustainably and on how to make environmentally conscious decisions. In the guide, consumers can browse through various green consumption themes and learn the essentials of being a green consumer. The advice is intended to allow consumers to shift to a more sustainable lifestyle. The guide focuses predominantly on environmental issues. By using the application consumers can find simple advice on reducing environmental impacts. “Tips (advice)” give practical advice on how to eat, live, buy and travel in a more environmentally conscious way. The advice ranges from recommending green insurance services to advice on sustainable food choices or travel tips. The advice can be accessed conveniently by the mobile application and provides on line advice in different situations. The tips can be shared with others via Facebook and Twitter. In the section “Make the right choice” consumers get advice on sustainable food choices. There are four sub categories to choose from: Fish picker, Fruit picker, Vegetable picker and Recycler. The app also presents information on different types of environmental labels to make it easier to keep track of a multitude of labels that may otherwise cause confusion. The “Find a store” section helps the consumer find nearby stores that sell ecological clothes. Environmentally friendly office The app also has a category on the office, which aims to promote sustainability at the office. It helps plan meetings that take into account environmental considerations and gives tips on environmental issues related to procurement of goods needed at the office. Pledging and share function The app also features a pledging function. Users of the Green Guide App are encouraged to select certain actions and then “pledge” to carry them out later. Pledges are then recorded on individual users' status profiles according to levels of commitment to the “green cause” as suggested by the Green Guide system. You can earn points and can become an “Environmental hero”. Users are given the opportunity to share their pledge and scores with others through Facebook and twitter. With a click of a button, the user goes from private to the public domain. The main success factors are ease of use and accessibility in different situations. Also, a key success factor is the high level of credibility that the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation has earned among the public. This reflects positively on the information that is presented in the mobile application. Novelty The application had an element of novelty at the time that it was launched. At launch, it generated much attention. The application received very favorable reviews. Currently it is regarded as easy to use and users seem satisfied. The application has been downloaded about 150 000 times and with no marketing efforts there are currently about 500 active weekly users. Sustainability Impacts Specific information on the concrete impact on user consumption behavior does not exist as yet. However, the application is used by consumers and the most frequently accessed information is on food and chemicals. Some popular themes are Detox your kitchen, Eat less meat, Switch to eco milk, Detox the preschool as well as Clean the cleaning cabinet. The principle behind the mobile application has been to regard ethical consumers as rational individuals and as socio-cultural beings. The app is designed as an answer to two often discussed challenges related to promoting ethical consumption – how to handle complexity and how to motivate consumers. By using these green apps consumers can manage complexity by getting easily understandable information on green choices in a very accessible manner. It also makes it possible for consumers to make more informed ethical choices while at the same time “profiling themselves” as ethical consumers in their own eyes as well as socially. Success Indicators The main success factors are ease of use and accessibility in different situations. Also, a key success factor is the high level of credibility that the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation has earned among the public. This reflects positively on the information that is presented in the mobile application.