An Incentive-Based Solution of Sustainable Mobility for Economic Growth and CO 2 Emissions Reduction

Manuel Herrador, Alexandre Carvalho and Francisco R. Feito
Additional contact information
Manuel Herrador: Department of Computer Science, University of Jaen, Paraje las Lagunillas, Jaen 23009, Spain
Alexandre Carvalho: INESC Porto (USIC), INESC TEC—Campus da FEUP—Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Francisco R. Feito: Department of Computer Science, University of Jaen, Paraje las Lagunillas, Jaen 23009, Spain

Sustainability, 2015, vol. 7, issue 5, 1-30

Abstract: “Incentivized Sustainable Mobility” is a conceptual business model which involves four stakeholders: citizens, municipalities, commerce and mobility services. A platform named “ISUMO” (Incentivized Sustainable Mobility) provides technological support to this business model, integrating a set of metaservices that unifies the existing ICTs of transportation plus a unique patented QR-based (Quick Response) low-cost charging device for electric vehicles. Essentially, the system tracks and registers citizens’ transportation activities (anonymously and voluntarily) and evaluates each through a scoring system while their ecological footprint is calculated. Afterwards, citizens are able to exchange their accumulated points for discount QR coupons, to be redeemed in the associated commerce in order to purchase their products or services. The breakthrough of this business model is that it enhances awareness of sustainable mobility practices, increasing their attractiveness as perceived by the stakeholders with diverse benefits; citizens (and indirectly, the municipalities) initiate a new consumption pattern of “coupons culture” linked to sustainable mobility, the urban economy is stimulated, and the use of mobility services grows, providing a new business opportunity regarding electric vehicles. It is expected that continuous exploration of the model and implementation will contribute to sustainable social and economic development aiming at CO 2 emissions reduction, headline targets of the Europe 2020 strategy.

Keywords: sustainable mobility; incentivized sustainable mobility; transportation; Europe 2020; GIS; QR; environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/5/6119/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/5/6119/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:5:p:6119-6148:d:49792

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().