A new mobile app being tested in Duluth aims to make sustainability a priority for the whole community.

The app, called GetGreen, was developed by a Seattle-based startup in 2020.

Users can earn points in the form of “leaves” for completing relevant tasks, such as buying locally grown food, riding one of Duluth’s electric city buses, or even refilling a growler of beer instead of buying in cans.

The “leaves” then translate into donations for local projects.

The pilot of GetGreen Duluth will collect money to support a “micro-mobility hub” in Lincoln Park

At a press conference Thursday, Mayor Emily Larson said this is another way to bring climate action to the forefront in Duluth.

“Making sure we are doing everything we can to protect the planet, to live in concert with it, and advance solutions that are good for our health, good for our communities, and creating an equitable, level sustainable playing field for everybody,” Larson said.

Duluth was chosen as the pilot site for a location-specific version of the app through collaboration between the City of Duluth and Minnesota-based accelerator Grid Catalyst.

The tailoring of the app to Duluth was completed by local non-profit Ecolibrium3 and GetGreen to incorporate the Duluth Citizens’ Climate Action Plan.

In March 2022, Mayor Emily Larson announced a new carbon emissions goal for Duluth.

It calls for a 50 percent reduction by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2050.

“Duluth is committed to being a climate leader and it is exciting to be part of a pilot project that elevates community action and innovation,” Larson said. “Our city has been identified as a future climate haven, so it is important to do what we can to become a sustainable and resilient region.”

After the pilot version of the app is tested in Duluth, it could become available in other cities across the nation.

You can download the GetGreen app on the Apple App Store or Google Play.

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