Hi!

We are the team Holova, in September 2022, we accepted the challenge of understanding

• 18-25 years old
• living in the Netherlands
• student

who has the BIGGEST potential to generate the MOST significant impact on the climate crisis with their actions?

In 20 weeks we developed a system prototype in collaboration with NWA and HvA Visual Methodologies Collective. An end result is a conversational object founded on a regenerative loop using gamifying elements.

Our research showed the barriers and triggers influencing the adoption of behaviors can be about many different things (list)

So is it easy to adopt pro-environmental behaviors?

Is it easy to refuse fast fashion, rethink energy consumption, or recycle plastics?

Let’s have a conversation.

With this project, our priority is to understand 18 – 25-year-old students (referred to as Gen Z later) living in the Netherlands who have the potential to generate the most significant impact on the climate emergency with their actions.

The measurable impact on an individual level is known to be low. However, the individuals we can reach through our project can act as ambassadors, starting grassroots movements, which then can reach wider audiences. 

In 20 weeks, our team developed a prototype in collaboration with NWA Communications Team and HvA Visual Methodologies Collective which could be developed further later.

Wait, what is this about?

The world is changing from one day to the other, faster than before, by all means. The practice of sustainability became crucial. We want to be informed, do the right thing for the planet, and fight against all kinds of crises.

The climate crisis that was once predicted to be a future thing is here and is happening. Europe has not been left behind and is currently experiencing the highest temperatures of time. The rains have reduced significantly as a scenario experienced in the Netherlands.

Climate emergency becomes a wicked problem due to inequality, established systems that refuse to change the status quo, wars, and many other factors. It is a complex system of individual, as well as corporate and national, decisions and behaviors. These patterns became established deeply over time and transformation is not happening as it should be compared to the urgency. The impact of actions is hard to measure, and the recovery of the damage is very slow and mostly invisible due to the scale.

What did we find out?

We talked with many active organizations and figured out that WASTE is a common theme. While lecturers and researchers highlighted the power of peer-to-peer influence for change, we used our network to understand plastics. We interviewed with new and thought-provoking institutions. We studied games that use dark humor. We tested our findings with the help of the HvA community All these led us to the creation of a conversational object founded on a regenerative loop using gamifying elements.

So is it possible to activate Gen Z behavior toward climate action?

As Gen Z is in a unique position facing the reality of a changing climate, they have the BIGGEST potential to generate the MOST significant impact on the climate crisis with their actions.

Students have one thing in common, the campus where they spend time working and studying. On campus, there are many potential hotspots to catch attention: They might see a banner at the canteen, leaderboards on screens, and challenges in a newsletter. They can hear about the system in a lecture, or encounter friends using it. And experience the transformation…

Meet GreenCoin; is an adaptable, scalable, flexible, and inclusive tool.

Tracy, for example, is a Social Science student at HvA and lives in a shared student apartment. She rarely cooks but buys lunch from the university’s canteen and prefers take-out as dinner. She sees the GreenCoin banner at the canteen as she is about to buy her usual sandwich. She scans the QR code and downloads the GreenCoin App to get more information. She takes part in challenges, solo or with her team to earn GreenCoins.

GreenCoins support healthy choices

Kash spends most of his time in his room or library. He always starts challenges on reducing waste on Tiktok. After clicking on the GreenCoin link in the university newsletter he explores the challenges and gets intrigued. Now, he has the highest points on the monthly leaderboard. Many students teamed up to join his challenges. Will you?

GreenCoin is regenerative, symbiotic, and beneficial. 

Maria, who loves painting, was introduced to GreenCoin by a friend who was visiting her for the weekend. Within a week, she has built a community. She shares her knowledge and has fun on the GreenCoin app. She joins #postasustainablepic tag and takes part in a quiz. She gains enough coins to have a discount on her HvA CREA subscription.

With GreenCoins; Stay healthy, live sustainably, get in the spotlight, influence your peers and meet like-minded people.

Check out our website for more details 🚀

This project is generated by

Patience Musila: Environmental Engineer/ Data Analyst
Liliya Zakirova: Social Media Analyst / Education and Environment projects
Lisa Chyniakova: Social Media and Marketing Expert
Mhambi Nyathi: Water Resources Engineer
Asu Aksu: Transformation Designer

at Digital Society School in collaboration with NWA Communications Team and HvA Visual Methodologies Collective.

Click on the image to get more information about the project / download the project file.