The Green Consumption Assistant (GCA) supports consumers in making more sustainable decisions during online shopping. The GCA displays green product alternatives on the search engine Ecosia and provides information about more sustainable alternatives, for example, references to repair, rental, or sharing options. In addition, sustainable websites will be highlighted on Ecosia and the climate commitments of the organisations and companies will be made transparent in a ranking. For the recommendations of the GCA, a comprehensive product database (Green Database) with ecological and social sustainability information is being built up using machine learning techniques.

The GCA is a collaboration project between the Technische Universität Berlin, the Berliner Hochschule für Technik, and the green search engine Ecosia and is funded by the Bundesumweltministerium as a lighthouse project for artificial intelligence in use for ecological challenges. The project embodies a new, interdisciplinary partnership that combines sustainable and behavioural research with machine learning, user-centered design, and digital product development.

In the project, we rely on cooperation and exchange with various sustainability actors, scientists, and label organisations or online shops, to ensure a reliable and comprehensive data set for the recommendations of the Green Consumption Assistant.

  • Sustainability research
  • Behaviour Research
  • Ecological Impact Assessment
  • Machine Learning
  • Data Science
  • Database
  • User-Centered Design
  • Digital Product Development
  • User Recruitment

News

Working Paper: Climate Pledge Rating – A hands-on Evaluation and Visualization of Companies’ Responses to Climate Change

In this publication, Marja Lena Hoffmann focuses on the Climate Pledge Rating, which was developed and implemented as part of the Green Consumption Assistant (GCA). The rating shows Ecosia users reviews and ratings of sustainability pledges of selected companies. This is intended to support users in making sustainable consumption decisions. Abstract The climate crisis is…

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Working Paper: Climate Pledge Rating – A hands-on Evaluation and Visualization of Companies’ Responses to Climate Change

In this publication Marja Lena Hoffmann focuses on the Climate Pledge Rating, which was developed and implemented within the Green Consumption Assistant (GCA). The rating shows evaluations and ratings of pledges from selected companies to users of Ecosia. This is supposed to support users in making sustainable consumption decisions. Abstract The climate crisis is already…

Read more