Sustainable commuting for a greener MU

The twice-yearly Scholarship of Hope award recognises students and staff who have outstanding ideas to improve sustainability both on campus and for the MODUL University community. The ideas should be realistically implementable and have an impact on one or more aspects of social, environmental or economic sustainability.

This semester, Bachelor exchange student Luis Carlos Enriquez drew upon his native Mexico and congestion in Mexico City to try to help alleviate traffic problems in Vienna and bring MU staff and students closer together by changing the way they commute.

Referencing the Modul University Sustainability Report of 2013-14, Luis found that one area the university could easily target is to reduce the carbon emissions resulting from the daily commute to Kahlenberg. The most simple and elegant solution was to make better use of something we all use every day – our smartphones.

By implementing the Zify carpooling app, available for free in the Austrian iTunes and Google Play stores, students and staff would have a quick way to see who is driving to or from the campus and from what part of town and when to easily coordinate carpools.

The app also has the feature to create interest and area-based groups which would in turn increase the sense of community of people regularly traveling together and foster social as well as environmental sustainability. There is an additional economic element of sustainability to it in that people would leave their cars at home and travel with others some days a week, saving petrol money as well as emissions.

The app is not yet widely used in Austria, however the Modul University community could be the forerunners in Vienna in embracing this technology. If Modulians start actively engaging in carpooling, they will save money, make new friendships and help the environment all at the same time.

Congratulations to Luis on winning the Scholarship of Hope!