New Free UN App Encourages Sustainable Living & Climate Action

As the world continues to battle both the coronavirus pandemic and the climate emergency, many are calling for sustainability to be prioritised in the recovery process, which represents an opportunity for the world to build back better. The United Nations has now launched a new mobile app to encourage all individuals to contribute to this effort, by learning, engaging and taking action for a more sustainable future. 

Launched by the United Nations ActNow campaign and developed by tech startup AWorld, the new app contains a wide range of educational materials, from challenges to tips and quizzes, where individuals can learn about sustainable habits and then track and log their daily actions that will help build a better future. It is available for free download on both iOS and Android devices here. 

Among some of the everyday actions that the app encourages includes eating plant-based meals, driving less, buying local fruit and vegetables and lengthening the lifespan of their clothing. Users are then able to view the impact that they are making, including the amount of water and electricity saved, as well as the carbon emissions that they have reduced. 

We want to empower people to make climate action an integral part of their daily life and be part of the solution to the climate crisis. The global problems we face can seem overwhelming, but there are things every one of us can do.

Melissa Fleming, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications

The app targets individuals in the G20 countries, the twenty largest economies in the world, which together accounts for 78% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Earlier this year, a report by Oslo-based nonprofit EAT found that if G20 states significantly reduced meat and dairy consumption, as much as 40% of the total global carbon budget for food could be freed up.

Speaking about the new mobile app, Melissa Fleming, the U.N. under-secretary-general for global communications, said: “We want to empower people to make climate action an integral part of their daily life and be part of the solution to the climate crisis. The global problems we face can seem overwhelming, but there are things every one of us can do.” 

This is the time to change course toward a more sustainable lifestyle.

Alessandro Armillotta, Co-Founder & CEO of AWorld

“COVID-19 is a wake-up call from nature, reminding us that our lives depend on a healthy planet,” added Alessandro Armillotta, co-founder and CEO of AWorld. “This is the time to change course toward a more sustainable lifestyle, and we are proud to support the United Nations in such an important mission.” 

In mid-September, the United Nations released a new film, Nations United, to raise awareness about what needs to be done to combat some of the world’s biggest challenges outlined by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from ongoing poverty and inequality to gender discrimination and climate change. 

With a report warning that the Global Goals are not likely to be achieved until 2092 due to the compounding impacts of the coronavirus, missing the original 2030 deadline by over 60 years, it is more vital than ever before that each and every one of us takes action towards sustainability in any way possible. 

This article is part of Green Queen Media’s partnership with the SDG Media Compact, aimed at raising awareness and sharing information about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

Lead image courtesy of AWorld.