overview
Local Green Points is a means with which local authorities can incentivise residents and communities to lead sustainable, healthy lives and reward them for so doing.
Actions are monitored and measured and rewards given based upon individual or community performance.
Benefits to the Local Authority
Local Green Points provides a stimulus to residents to shift behaviour to become more environmentally sustainable, community minded and healthy. Its intent is to deliver savings to a level greater than the cost of implementation. For example:
a) Waste Management
By incentivising households to recycle, compost, reuse and reduce waste, the cost burden of landfill charges and taxes is reduced significantly. In some cases, this system can also address contamination issues so additional value can be attained through increased material value.
Waste management is the principal financial driver behind the Local Green Points scheme.
b) Health
The incentivisation to residents to lead a more healthy life reduces the financial burden upon local health services.
c) Public transport
The incentivisation to make greater use of public transport reduces the level of subsidies that may exist to support an existing local public transport infrastructure.
d) Energy and carbon efficiency
Residents are motivated to implement actions to save energy and reduce carbon.
Flexibility
A key benefit to the Local Green Points scheme is its flexibility to enable adaptations to be made that are appropriate to specific communities and waste containment methods. This approach ensures maximum compatibility and higher participation across the participating areas.
Additionally, the Local Authority takes “perceived” ownership of the brand locally, which enables them to promote directly their commitment to resident rewards (rather than simply be seen to “plug-in” an existing scheme).