COP21 is in full swing. We know what is needed – a fair climate deal, that will prevent the global temperature from rising above 2°C. What most the leaders don’t seem to know, or agree on, is how to get there.
So we’ve put together 8 of our favorite German green app solutions – to give the world leaders (and you) an idea of what positive, on the ground solutions for real positive climate impact can look like.
" It's time to make curbing emissions an everyday thing."
Why apps? Because they're for everyone, everywhere – it's time to make curbing emissions an everyday thing.
8 Innovative Green Apps
- BINEE
- Awaju
- Ecosia
- Codecheck
- Nachhaltiger Warenkorb
- Econitor
- Modalyzer
- Changers
There are three main things stopping people from recycling. They don’t know how to do it; they don’t believe the system works and/or they simply find it boring. Binee has the solution! The smart waste app teaches users how to recycle properly. Depending the local context, it tracks trash to provide transparency on what really happens to it, and makes recycling a fun and simple game rather than a chore. We're sold.
Want to cut down your household emissions but not sure where to start? Awaju provides personalized recommendations about your household utilities energy usage. To do so, it uses a combination of gamification, behavioral economics and energy management all the way down to individual appliances. So no more excuses, now you can help stop climate change from your very own living room.
The Green Search Engine. Googling our way through life is costing the world quite a bit in terms of carbon emissions. Ecosia offers an alternative. Now you can browse the web without worrying about your CO2 footprint. How? Instead of profit maximization, Ecosia focuses on tree maximization. For every search, about 1/2 cent gets donated towards planting a tree. As it only costs about 28 cents to plant a tree – Ecosia has already managed to plant over 3 million of them. So next time you decide to stalk your new crush, help them plant even more!
No time to shop? And even less to check how green the products you are really are? Overwhelmed by all the different certificates and product details? Absolute Green-Information Overload? Don’t worry – Codecheck can help you out. Just scan your product and get information on all the critical product ingredients delivered straight to your phone. At a glance you can see if a product has overall more positive or more negative characteristics. To provide you with the most important information, Codecheck uses information from established experts on green products like Ökotest, BUND and Greenpeace.
Like Codecheck, this app helps you make your shopping cart even more sustainable. Which is better, regional products or organic ones from abroad? What washing powder is the best for the environment? Use their every-day tips on food, fashion, cosmetics and more to create your own, personalized consumption path.
Whether manually or with a smart meter, Econitor helps you to see, understand and reduce your household energy consumption. Keep your data safe and independent from any energy supplier. Basically this app helps you get smart about your energy consumption!
Trying to reduce emissions on the go as much as possible? Modalyzer can help you. It tracks which forms of transport you use and how large your emissions were. Your data isn’t passed on to third parties, but while your tracking (and improving) your own transport habits, you’re also supporting today’s research and tomorrow’s mobility.
First known for their solar chargers, Changers has also released a new employee enagement app where companies can play together and generate points for sutainable behavior. Rather than getting rewards, Changers plants trees as a reward for the points earned. If you're interesting in getting your team to go green (and get healthy!), check it out.
Do you know of any other great green apps that can help stop climate change on the ground, one click at a time? Tell us about them! Send a mail to hello@tbd.community.
Originally published December 6, 2015
