Making low-carbon and environmentally conscious choices in everyday life are easy for someone who is motivated and willing to make an extra effort. However, in order to make a meaningful impact, as many people as possible need to make the right choices as often as possible.
How do we get the rest of the Oslo population aboard?
How can we treat this challenge so that its results are not short-living but sustainable? How we can approach it so that it mobilizes as wide as possible demographics of Oslo citizens?
In addition, Oslo is a city of rich and diverse cultural backgrounds due to international immigration During, the early 2000s it was the fastest-growing major city in Europe. How can our solution address these diverse backgrounds in a customized way?
This challenge can and should be treated from the sustainable development perspective and through an interdisciplinary approach, taking in mind different stakeholders.
To solve this challenge we can rely on both IT and culture/art approaches.
Despite having a very low-carbon energy sector, Norwegians have a higher carbon footprint than the average European. This is due to (from largest to smallest) a large oil and gas industry, other industries, road transportation, air and sea transportation, and agriculture (more detailed list here).
Among things where people can make an impact themselves by changing behavior, there is an opportunity to change social behaviors regarding food consumption or air travel. For the latter, there is for example already a movement trying to push train holidays
(e.g. the Facebook group "Togferie", see these news pieces:
https://www.nrk.no/norge/flere-velger-togferie_-men-det-er-ikke-bare-enkelt-1.14546014
https://www.dagsavisen.no/nyheter/innenriks/flere-er-interesserte-i-togferie-i-norge-1.1558159 )
The solutions should consider Sustainable Development approach, taking in mind all four sustainable development pillars: environmental, social, cultural, and economical.
Can there be some IT solutions based on rewards or gamification? There have for example been attempts at promoting greener traveling using a lottery where you get a higher chance of winning for each day you use public transport or bicycle.
What can be the role of art in changing norms and moving society in the right direction?
Solve the climate challenge! Inspire sustainable climate-friendly choices by motivating as many people as possible to make extra efforts as often as possible.
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