Driving Behaviour Change for Sustainability: Overview of Desk Research for Defra - CREE Seminar - Andrew Darnton 18 th October 2004

Background to the Desk Research Commissioned by Defra (Communications Directorate), via COI Objectives: through existing research sources… - Investigate public understanding of Sustainable Development - Identify barriers and drivers to behaviour change for sustainability Methodology - Datagathering via experts and SDRN 100 organisations - Source summaries & commentaries 3 reports, on 105 sources What impact could communications on SD have on public behaviour?

The Public and Sustainable Development Awareness of SD low (among c.30%) SourceCountryYear of fieldwork No. of respondents % aware of SD DETR Survey of Public Attitudes to the Environment England and Wales 1996/71,78234% Defra Survey of Public Attitudes to Quality of Life and to the Environment England20013,73634% Welsh Consumer Council Consumption in Wales Wales20021,00226% Scottish Executive Public Attitudes to the Environment in Scotland Scotland20021,98927% Bundesministerium fur Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit Umweltbewusstsein in Deutschland 2002 Germany20022,36128% Defra Adult Omnibus tracking study England20032,25028% Understanding of SD lower (among c.8%?) Limitations of questions – but what is the right answer?

Confronting the Public with SD In focus groups, SD confounds people… not catchy gobbledegook so vague …and some reject it: They keep you in the dark then come up with terms like Sustainability Most researchers dont mention it – or start from the other end But publics concerns are environmental, social and economic - True of all SEGs - NB lowest SEGs most affected by low quality surroundings

Driving Behaviour Change: Linear Models What impact could communications on SD have on public behaviour? Environmental knowledge Environmental attitude Pro-environmental behaviour What impact can any communications have on public behaviour? Early models of pro-environmental behaviours (US, 1950s)

Mind the Gap: Non-linear Models Information Deficit model disproved in the 70s cf. Mismatch between publics words and deeds The Value-Action Gap (Blake, 1999)

The Impact of Information on SD Behaviours Influences / antecedents of human behaviour diverse, and complex - qv. TJs models, but also Stewart Barrs path diagrams Contrast AYDYB? use of info vs. GAPs (Action at Home / Eco Teams) Effective info as discursive (to measure and debate) and practical

Reported Barriers to SD Behaviour Change ie. Reasons people give for not doing a behaviour - Unwillingness (inc. cant do more) - Lack of Agency (inc. Govt to take the lead) - Lack of Opportunity (inc. amenities, space) - Cost (actual and perceived) - Convenience and other constructs - Habits (inc. low-consciousness behaviours) - Social Norms (inc. marginal green-ness) - Relative Sustainability (messy world)

Reported Drivers of SD Behaviour Change ie. Reasons people give for doing a behaviour, or wanting to… - Infrastructure - Cost Saving - Personal Gains - Social Norms - Groups and Leaders - Financial Instruments - Information (not indicators)

Which Public Behaviours Are To Be Changed? Role of public in SD uncertain and unplanned – needs interpreting Attempt to see SD in the round and full extent of publics role individualsgroups Sustainable CommunitiesSustainable Consumption Needs vs. impactsQuality of Life Group dynamic effective in public behaviour change campaigns Groups at forefront of delivering local sustainability (LA21 & beyond) An Exploratory Framework of a Sustainable Lifestyle provided

Framework for a Sustainable Lifestyle (part 1) Groups of BehaviourTypes of Behaviour Consumption1. Energy Use – DomesticEnergy Saving BehavioursRenewable Energy 2. Energy Use – TransportCar Use inc. journeys Air Travel Public Transport 3. Water UseWater Meters Washing & Flushing Rainwater 4. WasteReduce Reuse Recycle Littering Sanitary Waste 5. Household Consumption – FoodFood Miles Organic & Fairtrade

Framework for a Sustainable Lifestyle (part 2) Groups of BehaviourTypes of Behaviour Consumption6. Household Consumption – GeneralShopping Locally BehavioursEthical Purchasing Charity Shops 7. HousingLand Use 8. TourismResponsible Tourism 9. Leisure? 10. BankingEthical Investments Community11. ParticipationCivic Participation BehavioursSocial Participation 12. VolunteeringFormal Volunteering Informal Volunteering Civic Volunteering 13. NeighbourlinessInformal socialising Intervention for the common good

Behaviours in Focus - Energy Saving Energy a low salience issue - 10% think about energy use a great deal, 46% a fair bit - Varies by household income (fuel-poor – 21% - think about it most) Principal driver of energy saving is saving money - 81% of energy savers do so to save money - Fuel is cheap; energy saving would only save a few quid anyway Lack of info is a barrier to uptake - 79% know how to cut energy bills; 21% aware of energy-saving schemes - 74% have received no info from providers on green tariffs Calls to cut energy use dismissed - 60% of non-savers (60%) cant use any less energy at home

Behaviours in Focus - Recycling High awareness of waste issues, but low knowledge - 94% agree waste disposal is environmental problem but only 7% cite waste among personal concerns - c.80% dont know how much waste collection costs, c.55% dont know where it goes Recycling is a near normative behaviour - c. 20%-30% are non-recyclers (10% are rejectors) - Majority of recyclers only recycle paper (65%) and glass (60%) Infrastructure (& social norms) key to recycling behaviour - 28% of non-recyclers say no kerbside collection (top reason) - 72% with kerbside collection are high- or medium-recyclers

Behaviours in Focus - Volunteering Target set by Home Office for active community participation - increase of 5% by 2006 (47% in 2001) Nearly half of public takes part in groups - 40% were formal volunteers in 2001, including EMs Drivers are personal, local and low-tech - 44% via someone already involved; 13% via faith groups (36% for black) Partnership with local groups delivers workable solutions for SD - est. 5 groups per 1,000 in 1997 (VCS sector = 300,000 orgs) - community groups account for 80% of VCS

Recommendations for SD Policymakers If you want to change a behaviour, target that behaviour (and persist) Combine measures to address complex factors (contextual first) Alter the variables (eg. info / incentives) until change results Support individual behaviour change by supporting groups Recognise behaviour change without attitude change (unintentional sustainability)

Recommendations for SD Communications Without other policy tools, a comms campaign on SD or sustainability will not deliver significant behaviour change Once behaviour change is underway, comms can show how behaviours interrelate, & impact on delivering sustainability In this context, a comms campaign is not adverts, but information and informal education materials