Platform for Monitoring CO2 Emissions in University Campuses | Universities for Goal 13

Hello everyone. Today we're presenting our project, the green token trading system, a platform designed to monitor and reduce CO2 emissions on university campuses. The main idea behind the project is quite simple. We want to make sustainability measurable, interactive, [music] and rewarding. A university campus is more than just classrooms and offices. It functions almost like a small [music] city with large numbers of people, buildings, transportation, energy consumption, [music] waste, and water usage. Our system combines these different aspects into one platform. We use environmental [music] data to understand the campus's carbon footprint, and then we use that information to create goals and [music] motivate students and staff to contribute to reducing it. The project therefore has two main targets, the university [music] itself and the people who use the campus every day. For the university, the platform provides useful information [music] about its environmental impact. For students, it creates a more interactive way to participate in sustainability challenges, competitions, [music] and our green token system. So, what problem are we actually trying to solve? University campuses can produce significant CO2 emissions through energy consumption, transportation, waste, and water usage. However, one of the main [music] issues is that universities don't always have clear and accessible tools for monitoring these emissions at both the institutional and individual level. A university might know how much energy it [music] uses or have general sustainability targets, but without continuously collected data, it becomes much harder to identify where emissions [music] are coming from and where improvements can actually be made. Also, to respect the privacy during the data [music] collecting process, we made sure to make the app opt-in and inform the users on the collected data. Students may know that recycling, [music] biking, or reducing their consumption is good for the environment, but simply knowing this does [music] not change their behavior. There needs to be something that makes sustainability choices more engaging and gives people a reason to actively participate. This results in three major consequences, [music] a higher carbon footprint, missed opportunities to reduce emissions, and a disconnect between [music] the universities' sustainability goals and what actually happens on campus. So, essentially, [music] we have two problems happening at the same time. Universities need better information about their environmental impact. [music] Our students need a more engaging way to contribute to solving it. Our solution is the green token trading system. The first part of our solution is monitoring. >> [music] >> We focus on four key areas: energy, waste, transportation, and water usage. Data can be collected [music] from IoT sensors, university reports, and user input. This information can then be used to establish [music] a baseline CO2 footprint for the campus. From that baseline, the university can create specific dynamic [music] targets. For example, set a goal to reduce heating emissions, increase plastic recycling, or reduce energy consumption. But measuring emissions isn't enough. This is where gamification [music] comes in. Students and groups can participate in challenges and compete for rewards. Competitions could take [music] place between individuals, groups, faculties, or even dormitories. For example, a sustainability challenge [music] could encourage students to plant trees or spend a day with using only energy from green sources. The most important [music] part is that scoring isn't simply based on participation. We want the system to reflect actual CO2 reductions. And this is where the green tokens come into play. Students can earn tokens through verified sustainable actions such as recycling, [music] biking, reducing consumption, or achieving individual and group sustainability targets. These tokens can then be exchanged for real-world benefits such as discounted [music] campus cafes or bookstores, priority access to events or facilities, or potentially reduced dormitory and transportation costs. So, instead of simply telling the students, "You should be more sustainable," we're creating a system where sustainable actions have a measurable impact and a tangible reward. In the end, the concept can be summarized in a simple cycle. We measure the emissions, we set goals, we encourage sustainable actions, and we reward these actions, and use the reward to reduce [music] emissions further. That is the idea behind the green token trading system. [music]