Jump: Sustainability engagement schemes prevent 4,200 tonnes of carbon emissions in 2020

The approach is based around gamification

Green Rewards, the organisation behind the popular ‘Jump’ scheme, revealed its 2020 results earlier this week. While staff and students at many of the organisations using Jump – which include NHS trusts, universities and corporates – were working or studying from home during 2020, engagement remained high and results remained sizeable.

A total of 63,700 people took part in Jump programmes through Jump in 2020, Green Rewards revealed. Participants download an app that encourages them to engage in behaviours that reduce their carbon, waste or water footprint, like walking or cycling instead of using cars, using reusable coffee cups and turning off electronics when they are not in use. They can then exchange the completed behaviours for ‘Green Points’, and it is up to their employer or education provider to choose and allocate rewards to the highest-scoring individuals and/or teams. 

In recognition of the fact that students and staff spent more time at home during 2020, Jump updated its activity list to ensure that they could all be completed from home. It also added activities designed to boost mood and wellbeing.

Green Rewards has calculated that the actions logged in 2020 collectively prevented 4,200 tonnes of CO23 emissions and saved 11.1 million kilowatts of electricity. Walking and cycling were some of the most popular activities, with 266,000 miles clocked up.

Organisations participating in Jump include NHS Trusts in Manchester and Newcastle Upon Tyne; councils in Camden, Bexley, St Helens and Warwickshire; the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and Natwest Group, formerly known as the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

Uptake in the UK’s higher education sector has been particularly widespread. Participating organisations include the University of Strathclyde,  Nottingham Trent University (NTU), the University of Bournemouth, Brunel University, the University of Exeter and the University of Winchester. 

“Despite being such a tough year for so many because of the pandemic, the commitment of our users to be more sustainable continues to grow, and across our community the cumulative impact of 4.2 million kilogrammes of carbon emissions avoided speaks for itself,” Jump chief executive Graham Simmonds said.

Sarah George