We Eirinikoutli, Melanie Vigneau, Evangelos Papadopoulos Komselis, Julia Witkowska and milymilek are EcoVitality, an environmental impact group set on restoring our planet.
Our journey with EcoVitality unfolds as a narrative of challenges, innovative solutions, and invaluable lessons. It all began within the academic realm with Professor Betty Tsakarestou’s course on “Social Issues, Social Innovation, and Corporate Responsibility” at Panteion University. This academic space served as the incubator for our project, and it was in the “Dare to Challenge” program that we found ourselves venturing into unexplored territories. This program pushed us to challenge conventions, encouraging us to embrace our roles as social innovators. This transformative experience became the catalyst behind our commitment to instigate positive changes for societal well-being. With a global responsibility mindset, EcoVitality envisions the transformation of urban environments into inclusive, sustainable ecosystems.
At the core of our decision to tackle the climate crisis lies a story worth sharing. As we collectively navigated the terrain of issues we wished to confront and the underlying motivations, a distinct pattern began to unfold. Each team member possessed a personal link to the climate crisis, a connection that resonated with the fabric of our lives. For some, it manifested in the immediate absence of green spaces, casting urban landscapes as oppressive heat traps, while others foresaw potential catastrophic consequences for our planet and its inhabitants. This collective realization fueled our commitment to channel this year’s project towards addressing the climate crisis, with a focused aim of contributing to green urbanization. The profound ‘why?’ underpinning the formation of our environmental impact group became unmistakably clear: ‘Because if we don’t change, we will suffer.’
In the broader context, this motto emerged from the keen observations of two of our Greek peers who brought attention to the extreme environmental phenomena witnessed over the summer. These incidents included devastating wildfires on the islands of Rhodes (even discernible from space through satellite imagery) and Corfu, as well as other regions in Greece. Adding to the environmental occurrences was a notable episode of intense rainfall impacting the city of Volos and later Athens in September. These climatic events left an indelible mark on Greece, delivering a potent warning. Coupled with the abundance of scientific literature underscoring the ramifications of the climate crisis, the message resonated clearly: a transformative change in our collective behavior and societal structures is imperative to mitigate the escalating consequences.
With that imperative in mind, we steered our attention towards crafting a coherent message and identifying our target audience. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emerged as a fitting framework, with three specific goals drawing our interest. Foremost among them was Sustainable Development Goal 11, advocating for sustainable cities and communities, taking precedence in our mission. Considering our emphasis on urban landscapes and, particularly, the pervasive Heat Island effect in Athens during the project’s inception, this goal held profound significance. Sustainable cities and communities became a pivotal focal point for our project, recognizing the disproportionate resource consumption in cities and the urgent need to curb unsustainable consumerism for the benefit of the environment.
Sustainable Development Goal 12, which centers on Responsible Consumption and Production, assumes a pivotal role as an essential conduit for amplifying transformation in urban centers. Recognizing the diminishing reservoir of resources and components, it becomes imperative to safeguard them and prevent overconsumption, thereby alleviating the strain on nature. This perspective, articulated later by one of our interviewees, emphasizes the urgency of addressing overconsumption, a pervasive challenge underlying numerous issues within our scope.
Finally, honing in on Sustainable Development Goal 13, which focuses on climate action, seamlessly aligns with our mission to inspire individuals to take meaningful steps and leave a lasting impact on the world. This goal reinforces the notion that climate action is not merely an option but a shared responsibility, a commitment that we must collectively normalize in our ongoing duty to safeguard the environment.
In navigating our course among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we transitioned from acknowledging the issue (climate crisis in urban centers) and understanding the why (because if we don’t change, we will suffer) to outlining the methods for making a meaningful impact. Multiple approaches and elements were considered for realizing this objective. However, we settled on a pivotal aspect: raising awareness about the issue was deemed fundamental.
In formulating our strategy, we pursued two key avenues. Firstly, our endeavor was to convey the severity of the climate crisis, steering clear of the neutral connotations associated with the term ‘change.’ ‘Change’ fails to encapsulate the urgency of the situation, and thus, our paramount objective was to heighten awareness, unequivocally presenting the climate crisis as an actual and pressing threat. Secondly, our target was to approach an audience comprising four pivotal groups capable of influencing the climate crisis. These included the state government, local communities, individuals within the corporate sector, and impassioned climate activists who intimately comprehend the repercussions of the climate crisis.
All four groups play a significant role, but we wanted to place particular emphasis on climate activists, whom we wish to support initially. Our overarching concept revolves around democratizing access to green urbanization. Despite the widespread awareness of the climate crisis in contemporary society, individuals often neglect to explore actionable steps on an individual level. While collective actions and community protests have demonstrated efficacy, the potential impact of a universally accessible app, accessible to all via phones, could significantly enhance individual contributions to environmental well-being and, by extension, personal well-being.
Delving into this concept, we engaged deeply in crafting a pragmatic plan of action. Within this structured framework, we meticulously developed a persona representing our potential ‘client’: an individual fervently embracing sustainability and personally taking initiative to combat the climate crisis. This persona actively seeks knowledge about sustainable development and green urbanization. While our initial persona alignment proved accurate, we encountered the challenge of envisioning how our interviewees would respond to green urbanization, considering diverse factors such as political landscapes, economic policies, corporate influences, and societal trends like prevalent consumerism. Despite the diverse backgrounds of our interviewees spanning three European countries, a unanimous agreement surfaced: the government’s current efforts are deemed insufficient.
Proceeding further, we attributed names to the three interviewee personas, drawing inspiration from their backgrounds and the valuable insights gathered during our interviews. Each interviewee expressed a keen interest in collaborating with us, and our selection deliberately encompassed individuals with a wealth of experience in climate action and diverse knowledge domains. We organized them into three distinct personas:
The Idealist: This persona approaches matters straightforwardly, driven by a clear and idealistic standpoint.
The Rationalist: This persona adopts a perspective reminiscent of complexity theory. The rationalist considers social, economic, and political trends in formulating a comprehensive strategy.
The Activist: This persona focuses on practical, hands-on approaches and advocates for concrete actions to combat the climate crisis and address pressing environmental concerns.
Derived from the perspectives shared by our three personas, we distilled five fundamental pillars that would serve as the cornerstone of our endeavor to enact a meaningful impact on the environment. The initial pivotal insight from our interviews emphasized the crucial role of individual actions. The second insight underscored the significance of government action, acknowledging its unique capacity to prioritize immediate concerns and endorse sustainable initiatives. The third insight brought to light the indispensable nature of corporate engagement. Recognizing the substantial influence corporations hold in the global market, we acknowledged the challenge of initiating a substantial green urbanization movement without their active participation. However, we emphasized that corporations, influential as they are, are not impervious entities and can be swayed by social and political pressures, particularly when a crisis is acknowledged. The fourth insight underlined the central role of community engagement. Urban communities, acting as pivotal forces shaping public opinion and city dynamics, were identified as essential components in fostering a more sustainable approach. Lastly, the most paramount insight we uncovered stressed the necessity for a mindset shift. All three interviewees unanimously concurred that the media falls short in portraying the full extent of the climate crisis and its ramifications on urban and natural environments. This inadequate coverage has left many oblivious to the imminent danger. Therefore, to instigate change for a green urban environment and diminish the heat island effect, a fundamental shift in mindset is imperative, reframing the situation as an actual crisis rather than a mere change.
Built upon the foundation of all the insights we gathered, we embarked on shaping the demo of our company. These essential insights not only structured our solution but also laid the groundwork for our project. Simultaneously, we reinforced our commitment to three core values, with the foremost being our dedication to making a positive Environmental Impact. This commitment has been the unwavering focus of our project since its inception, as green urbanization emerges as a crucial element in fostering a healthier climate and serves as an effective countermeasure to the looming climate crisis. The second core value centers around Community Economic Development. Recognizing the necessity for substantial economic support for impactful green urbanization, we advocate for community economic development as an integral step in realizing this vision. This involves fostering a more localized economy, encouraging self-sufficiency, and implementing measures to curtail consumerism, ultimately making community living more sustainable. Finally, we underscore the significance of Workforce Skills. The effective management of green urbanization requires expertise from diverse fields such as economy, agriculture, construction, political policymaking, corporations, and more. Consequently, we place a high value on workforce skills as a critical component in our approach to addressing the heat island effect.
At the core of our journey lies a collective determination to address the far-reaching impacts of the climate crisis, guided by insights from those intimately acquainted with its consequences. Grounded in shared values, we formed a dedicated environmental impact group focused on tackling environmental concerns in urban landscapes. Navigating the realms of activation posed challenges, given our non-professional background in marketing and advertising. Yet, recognizing the prevalence of apps addressing various needs, we questioned why not develop an app tailored specifically to combat the heat island effect. This concept became the cornerstone of our innovative solution.
Our website and bespoke app are centered on the most critical issue we identified: raising awareness. It’s alarming that a significant portion of the global population remains unaware of the shift from climate change to a full-fledged Climate Crisis, forewarned by scientists for over a decade and a half.
Going beyond mere information hubs, our platform transforms into a dynamic Information Center, resembling a virtual library filled with invaluable resources. We empower individuals not only with crucial data on the prevailing crisis but also provide actionable steps to address urgent challenges. Curated by experts, our educational content spans diverse training opportunities, from the creation and management of ecological spaces to the adoption of eco-friendly lifestyles. Specialists offer legal and financial advice, ensuring adherence to green space regulations.
Ecovitality transcends being a passive platform; it actively fosters community engagement both online and offline. Users are encouraged to participate in impactful community projects, contributing to the shaping of sustainable urban development. To support user initiatives, we facilitate meaningful interactions, forging ambitious partnerships with bank and corporations to secure essential financing.
A pivotal element of our strategy involves incentivizing government action through a comprehensive scoring system that evaluates sustainability. This not only promotes transparency but also acts as a catalyst for local authorities, empowering users to make informed choices.
At the core of our communication strategy, our public relations initiative takes on crucial importance. We deploy an advertising approach, utilizing a range of tools to maximize our impact. On social media, especially Instagram, we showcase impactful announcements and engaging videos on our YouTube channel. Our objective is twofold: to inform and captivate our target audience, thereby stimulating collective engagement towards green urbanization and climate action. The second phase involves an Out-of-home Advertisement requiring a budget and close collaboration with NGOs, a partnership that will also benefit them. The main goal is to secure substantial support from them for our project, encouraging them to share and discuss the societal impact we aspire to create.
In spite of our unwavering commitment to spark change, the undeniable truth is that the world we navigate is anything but flawless. Along our journey, a spectrum of challenges unfolded, with certain ones standing as formidable barriers. One noteworthy obstacle surfaced in the form of unresponsiveness from specific individuals and organizations we approached to propel our mission forward. This lack of engagement emerged as a substantial setback, casting a shadow over our efforts. Moreover, convincing individuals of the importance of sustainable practices and the benefits that arise from them has encountered some resistance due to well-established habits and skepticism. Similarly, ensuring active participation from the local community proves to be a challenge, and apathy has hindered the adoption of ecological practices. Achieving a meaningful change could take decades.
However, throughout our Dare To Challenge journey, we successfully identified and developed solutions to overcome the challenges we encountered. This experience taught us the importance of continuous learning, encouraging us to remain open to new ideas and consistently adjust our approach based on feedback. As a result, we honed our skills to more precisely meet the specific needs of our users. Collaboration within our team emerged as a key driver, acting as a force multiplier, stimulating creativity and innovation to authentically address real-world challenges. All of this was made possible through effective communication, keeping our team united and focused on our common mission.
In order to consolidate our knowledge and broaden our skill set, we tapped into various sources of expertise, including video conferences with computer science students. They provided valuable advice about sustainable technological choices, such as the use of renewable energy for data centers and the reduction of the carbon footprint of our IT equipment. Additionally, they informed us about best practices in cybersecurity and the adoption of new technologies. This collaborative effort was enriching, strengthening our understanding and enabling us to integrate innovative approaches to promote sustainability within Ecovitality.
In conclusion, we have laid a robust foundation for Ecovitality, underpinned by meticulous research into urban environmental issues, effective contribution strategies, and potential obstacles. To ensure practicality, we initiated a small-scale implementation, actively seeking advice and feedback. Now, poised for an advanced phase, we are set to implement a larger-scale prototype, closely resembling our final product.
This transformative journey began with abstract ideas addressing problems close to each of us, gradually transforming into a tangible final product through unwavering dedication. Despite numerous obstacles, this project has become a fuel for personal growth, enabling us to develop new skills and push our limits further.
Our Photo Gallery shot by milymilek
