Recent reports on climate change show how immediate action is necessary. In this context, many people want to make a positive impact on the environment and society but often lack the necessary knowledge and guidance to do so effectively, creating an intention-action gap. How people consume, move, eat, dispose of things and spend money all can have an influence on global emissions.

The intention-action gap is also caused by a lack of motivation and consistency in sustainable actions, as the effects of many actions are not immediately tangible or apparent, making it harder to sustain long-term engagement. Additionally, the social context plays an important role: norms and expectations of peers influence the behaviour of individuals, creating possible barriers to changing habits or consumption behaviours in favour of more sustainable ones. 

Deedster is addressing the problem of sustainability awareness and action among individuals thanks to its gamification platform. The platform provides personalized challenges – “deeds” – and tips for a more sustainable lifestyle. By using behavioural science techniques, gamification, and nudging, Deedster engages users and motivates them to adopt more sustainable habits in their daily lives.

The app offers a wide range of challenges across various categories, such as energy consumption, food choices, waste reduction, and transportation. Users can track their progress, earn points, and compete with colleagues, fostering a sense of community. The platform provides then users with the aggregate effect of their choices, in terms of CO2 emissions saved, allowing to quantify and make more tangible the effect they and their team members are having. 

Deedster is focussing on offering their platform to companies. Deedster at Work is a multi-year sustainability program for engaging employee in climate action. Through the climate calculator, all employees get an insight into their global CO2 footprint and can compare to that of their team or the national average. Through quizzes, all employees increase their knowledge on sustainability topics. The work setting can have a strong influence on the lifestyle of employees even in their private lives, creating a ripple effect. 

Over 150’000 people are currently using their solution, in 19 different languages. The platform creates an international community around the topic of sustainability. To date, 2’000’000 deeds have been carried out by users of the platform, resulting in approximately 5000 tons of CO2 emissions saved.

Considering that the top 10% of spenders generates over 50% of the world’s emissions, this solution is important especially in the Swiss and European context. 

The co-founder of Deedster Monika Martinsson especially impressed the jury with her pitch. Monika, with a background in financial IT, is a force driving engagement in sustainability and climate action. The jury decided to award Deedster for its timeliness and smart use of gamification, with a special acknowledgement to Monika’s work. 

The main UN SDG targeted by Deedster is SDG 13: Climate Action. By nudging people towards more sustainable choices, they also target SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.