Student creates app to help universities go green

A student has created a new sustainability app with the aim of helping universities to go green.

Carolina Furtado, who is studying at the University of Worcester, made the GreenUp mobile app after the university awarded her funding of £2,000.

It allows students to take a series of quizzes to gauge their awareness of sustainability issues and the data is then shared with university leaders.

"This data will help leaders understand where their students are in terms of their knowledge and understanding of sustainability, which will help them make informed decisions," Ms Furtado said.

The quizzes were based around the United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals, focusing on areas like eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable cities or communities.

Ms Furtado, a business and finance graduate who is now studying a master's degree in computer sciences, said she was a lifelong advocate of sustainable practices.

Her aim was to expand the app's reach, she added, and to develop more features for it, including an interactive game and utilising virtual reality.

"I'd like to see this rolled out to other universities," Ms Furtado said. "I've already had interest from a college in the region and I've spoken to business leaders who are interested in using it to gauge their teams' understanding of sustainability."

Dr Helen Watts, deputy head of the university's business school, said staff were committed to encouraging students to promote greener practices.

"Carolina's app shows an innovative approach to promoting sustainability through gamification and a sophisticated app design that required funding to develop," she added.

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