Avoid-Shift-Improve (A-S-I) (German:vermeiden, verlagern,verbessern) is an approach toenvironmental sustainability that seeks to increase efficiency by modifying consumer behavior. Though it originated in transportation studies, it has since been used to apply to other ways that consumers use natural resources.[1]
Avoid-Shift-Improve (A-S-I) was first developed in Germany in the early 1990s asvermeiden, verlagern, verbessern.[2] The term was first published in a 1994 report by theGerman Parliament's Enquete Commission.[3]
As denoted by the name, Avoid-Shift-Improve has three avenues. It seeks to modify the behavior of consumers rather than producers to makeconsumer choices more environmentally sustainable.[4]
In the context of transportation efficiency, "Avoid" could mean consolidating or eliminating vehicle trips; "Shift" could include using a bicycle instead of an automobile; and "Improve" could include trading in a gas-powered personal vehicle for a hybrid or electric one.[1] The three routes are considered hierarchical, with avoiding consumption the most impactful, and thus, most important priority.[3]
Though developed for use in transportation, A-S-I has been applied to other consumer sectors, including food, homes, and energy. Technological and entrepreneurial developments can create more A-S-I opportunities, such assmart thermostats that raise and lower interior temperatures based on human occupancy and activity patterns, ormeal kits that can reducefood waste by sending pre-apportioned ingredients.[1]