Sustainable lifestyle app launched across European cities

A new app designed to help people reduce their environmental impact and lead more sustainable lives has been launched in nine cities across eight European countries.

The PSLifestyle app – which has been under development for the past two years – includes personalised suggestions for those who take the sustainability test in the app with the option to create an action plan based on the information provided.

“We can all find our own way to live a positive and sustainable life,” said Markus Terho, Project Lead of PSLifestyle and Project Director at Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra.

“We are really excited to introduce a new lifestyle test that has been developed together with residents of eight European countries.

“Mitigating climate change is such a huge global challenge and everyone’s contribution is needed.”

The initiative is part of an EU-funded project supported by local government sustainability network ICLEI Europe.

Living lab

The sustainability test was co-created with residents in a series of ‘living lab’ workshops hosted in cities and regions across eight European countries, including: Tampere, Turku, and Lappeenranta (Finland); Athens (Greece); Lisbon (Portugal); Ljubljana (Slovenia); Izmir (Turkey); Tallinn (Estonia); Wuppertal (Germany); and Parma and the Tuscany Region (Italy).

Through the workshops, citizens helped to design the test by identifying ways to improve the functionality and design and offering country-specific lifestyle suggestions.

Speaking to Cities Today, an ICLEI spokesperson explained more about how the test works.

“It asks a maximum of 35 quick multiple-choice questions divided into four sections: housing, transport, food and purchases.

“As you answer the questions, the web app provides a live update of your estimated carbon footprint, and at the end of the test, the user is provided with information about their carbon footprint, including where the emissions come from, how they are doing in comparison to others, and how they could reduce their personal impact.

“It takes about five minutes to do the test.”

Lifestyle changes

Suggestions given to participants who take the test include: travelling by train for holiday trips; switching from dairy to plant-based drinks; having products repaired, instead of buying new; and drying laundry outdoors.

“At the end of the test, you can also ask for further support to improve the service, such as calendar reminders, success stories, etc,” the spokesperson added.

“Users can also indicate which actions they have challenges with and would need further support to implement, such as from their local community or municipality.”

The project received approximately €5 million (US$5.45 million) from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

Image: Freestocks