Companies' CSR strategies aim to turn teens green

Power company E.ON and energy monitoring experts AlertMe are putting their CSR strategies to practical use by working with researchers to turn teens green.

They are partnering five British Universities in a project to make reducing energy usage ‘cool’ called Taking on the Teenagers – Using Adolescent Energy to Reduce Energy Use.

The £1.5m research project will last three years and is the first energy efficiency scheme to engage directly with teenagers, who will be involved as “co-investigators”. Arguably, even though their work on this project supports a CSR objective, E.ON and AlertMe have done the smart commercial thing in taking part. This will give them key insights into the minds of the next generation of energy users.

A team of researchers, co-ordinated by project leader, Dr Janet Read, a computer scientist at the University of Central Lancashire, will work together to analyse teenage psychology, then develop technology to help young people monitor their energy consumption. The aim is to show teenagers that they can be ‘green’ without being serious and boring.

Another academic working on the project is Dr Russell Beale who specialises in computing, communication systems and society with a focus on artificial intelligence. He sees real potential for the kind of technology offered by AlertMe in changing behaviour. He likes the idea of a tool in a mobile phone which goes from green to red when teenagers’ energy consumption goes above a certain level. This is something which AlertMe is already working on.

E.ON’s CSR programme has previously included research into children and young people’s views on energy use as part of its Changing Energy research report. The research, which included telephone surveys with almost 2000 adults and face to face interviews with 524 children between 7 and 16, found that teenagers believe all energy should come from green sources.

Clearly for both E.ON and AlertMe, knowing what makes teenagers tick in terms of their energy usage is valuable information. However, both firms have an important role to play in this research as they can provide data and technology that can help ensure the project’s success. They are in the enviable position of meeting their CSR objectives, as well as putting themselves in a position of commercial advantage.

The teenagers will be ‘product testers’ throughout to ensure that what is created is fun, and fellow teens will want to use it. After the first phase of the project is completed (computer scientists will design ‘teen friendly’ technology), the second phase involves building the gadgets. At this stage there will be further consultations with would-be users before the technology is refined.

This project is a good example of academics and the private sector working together on a way of changing behaviour that is environmentally and financially beneficial.

Photo Credit: Ed Yourdon

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