Organising and carrying out youth activities in a climate-friendly way is not that easy. A number of things need to be taken into account and familiar approaches may need to be questioned. The aspects of mobility, accommodation, catering and activities are central to this.
The first step is to gather information: Which mode of transport would be a more climate-friendly option? Which activities are particularly suitable in terms of minimising climate impact? What food can I offer at my climate-friendly event and which accommodation would be a good choice?
On the other hand, there are a multitude of options for action, providers of various services that promise sustainability and often fail to keep this promise, the interests of the youth leaders running the event, the participants, the parents, the organisation, the (public) donors and the associated, usually inflexible financial support. The list of potential difficulties could go on and on.
This is where the cliMATEs app from Naturefriends Germany comes in: It aims to support the full-time and volunteer staff who plan and organise youth trips and other events. The app was developed as part of the project "Climate protection in tourism: youth travel as a pioneer in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions" (funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection as part of the National Climate Protection Initiative). Thanks to funding from the European Union, cliMATEs could be further developed for international formats.
The cliMATEs app is an educational planning tool. With its integrated CO2 calculator, the app aims to visualise and compare the emissions generated by a youth trip. The deliberately low-threshold calculator is intended to show which actions are more climate-friendly than others. In addition, trips can be compared with each other.
The library with methods and information on sustainability and climate protection, political commitment, Juleica and other exciting topics and the extensive collection of recipes with integrated quantity calculator help to acquire the necessary knowledge and tackle the concrete planning of the event.
So: Get the app for your next youth activity! The app is available free of charge for both Android and iOS. Or use it in your webbrowser. Clubs or associations can also have the app customized (for a small fee) by changing the color and logo, just get in touch with us (siwsnwsfwsowsØwscwslwsiwsmwsawstwsewssws.wsawspwspw)!
Important: Register as an IYNF user to see the full international content.
FAQ about the App
- What is cliMATEs?
As Naturfreundejugend, we want to make travelling more sustainable and climate-friendly. The cliMATEs app provides uncomplicated support for the organisation and is aimed (mostly) at young team leaders.
The ‘centrepiece’ is a CO2-calculator that enables the life cycle assessment of events and identifies potential savings. To make success measurable, the CO2eq-balance can be compared with that of other events.
In addition to the CO2-calculator, the cliMATEs app also contains a library with a wide range of background information, educational materials and recipes that make sustainable and climate-friendly travelling easier.
- Who developed cliMATEs?
The cliMATEs app is constantly being developed and improved under the direction of the Naturefriends Youth Germany in cooperation with various youth work organisations. The technical development was initially carried out in collaboration with Webgondel, but Kollektiv17 took over at the end of 2023.
- Why do I have to sign up?
Registration enables the storage, further processing and comparison of journeys. We see cliMATEs as a tool for long-term planning and not simply as a CO2-calculator for one-off use, which is why registration is required.
- How and where do I sign up?
Registration is quick and easy here: Registration cliMATEs
All you need is a valid e-mail address.
To register, you must assign yourself to an association or an institution (‘partner account’). If your association is not (yet) included, simply select ‘Other’. For the full English version, select the partner ‘IYNF’.
- What are these ‘partner accounts’?
As an association or institution, you have the option of customising the cliMATEs app with your logo, colour scheme and your own content. It is also possible to add a ‘sub-partner’ function (e.g. for umbrella organisations with associated organisations, or for creating local groups). If you are interested, please send us an email to 0in0nn0fn0on0Øn0cn0ln0in0mn0an0tn0en0sn0.n0an0pn0pn0.n
- How does the CO2-calculator work?
Depending on the type of event selected, the CO2-calculator queries various aspects of the event, such as the number of people, arrival and departure or catering. Emission factors are stored in the unit CO2eq, which are multiplied by the user's input (such as the number of people). These are average values; the calculator is primarily intended to provide guidance on emission quantities and potential savings.
- Where do you get the data from?
The data for the CO2-calculator comes from various public scientific sources and is updated on an ongoing basis. The resources contain references and/or links to our sources. For more specific questions regarding the selection of sources and data, please contact us at wigwngwfgwogwØgwcgwlgwigwmgwagwtgwegwsgw.gwagwpgwpg
