ChallengeYeti App: Bridging the Knowledge-Action Gap through Gamification and Digital Engagement

Climate change mitigation campaigns aim to raise awareness, increase knowledge, and communicate actions for reducing carbon footprints. Unfortunately, these top-down campaigns often fail to engage the public effectively. To address this issue, the I-CHANGE project developed the ChallengeYeti app, an innovative solution designed to fill the knowledge-action gap by empowering and motivating citizens to take climate action through participatory and gamification approaches. 

The ChallengeYeti app leverages digital tools and gamification to foster behavioural change. Rooted in the COM-B theory of behaviour change, the app focuses on three components: capability, opportunity, and motivation. By incorporating game elements, the app stimulates intrinsic motivation through social interaction and extrinsic motivation through competition and rewards. This approach ensures long-term user engagement and sustainable impact. 

Unlike traditional carbon footprint calculators that focus on specific aspects such as transport or energy efficiency, the ChallengeYeti app offers a comprehensive platform for tracking both avoided and produced carbon footprints. The app presents data in a clear and understandable format, enabling users to grasp the context and take informed actions. Additionally, the app promotes user engagement through a series of challenges and the creation of communities, fostering competition and collective action.