Scoring Sustainability

I am The Sustainabilist, Opinion Piece

March 8, 2020, 4:26 pm

Developing a sustainability score at individual resident or citizen level could make a sea change in Dubai government’s sustainability efforts. Such a score will be similar to a credit score of a person. To arrive at this score, tracking consumption records, scoring and aggregation by an independent body would be needed. Banks and credit card companies will need to be a partner in this effort in supplying relevant transaction data to the scoring body. Essentially the score of a person will be derived from the following:

1. Positive points collected if the consumption of green house gas producing actions like electricity, water, petrol in cars, air travel, waste production and purchase of non-local goods is below the city average.
2. Positive points collected with every usage/purchase of local goods, electric cars, public transport and solar/non-fossil fuel energy sources.

The points are collected from every transaction of an individual over a month, combined at family level to arrive at overall sustainability score for the family. This monthly score may also apply to each individual member of the family. The above score is seen as a positive incentive rather than a penalty function. The score will be seen as a personal identifier for one to be proud of. Highest family scorers will be recognized in public forums and various “green financing” products which are cheaper than conventional ones will be available to such “green” customers. It will create an environment to positively energize people to adopt “greener” practices and make the society conscious and aware in an overall basis. The highest sustainability scorers will be seen as leaders of greener societies as they educate and inspire other people to follow their lead. A positive reinforcing loop of adoption of green practices in society will ultimately also influence the various organizations where they work in. It will be a bottom up approach leading to Dubai as well as UAE being recognized as sustainable on every front.