1. 3 rd Victorian Sustainable Development Conference Carbon Neutral Communities Dr Susie Moloney Centre for Design, RMIT University

2. Carbon Neutral Communities: Making the Transition Susie Moloney Research Fellow Project Website: www.rmit.edu.au/cnc Contact: susie.moloney@rmit.edu.au or ralph.horne@rmit.edu.auwww.rmit.edu.au/cnc susie.moloney@rmit.edu.au Centre for Design, RMIT University

3. RMIT UniversitySlide 3 ABOUT THE PROJECT Australian Research Council funded project (2007-2010) Research centres:  Centre for Design & Global Cities Institute RMIT and University of South Australia Research Team:  RMIT - John Fien, Ralph Horne, Susie Moloney, Annette Kroen and Anna Strempel  UniSA - John Kellett, Steve Hamnett, Cathryn Hamilton 7 Industry Partners  Manningham City Council (Vic) and the City of Playford (SA)  Consumers Affairs Victoria, Intern.Council for Local Env. Initiatives (ICLEI), Moreland Energy Foundation (MEFL), Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action (NAGA), Community Power (Darebin).

4. RMIT UniversitySlide 4 Project Scope Technical and social dimensions of transitioning Local Government Area Assessments : 1.Greenhouse emissions 2.Renewable energy potential 3.Energy efficiency potential 4.Changing behaviours: analysis of behaviour change theories and programs 5.Changing social practices: from behavioural to systemic change

5. 1. GHG Assessment for Local Government Areas: City of Playford (SA) and Manningham (Vic) Three methods for estimating energy use and GHG emissions Test and compare results Develop reliable emissions profiles which reflect local conditions and can be used to reliably set targets for GHG emission reductions. Key issue: Lack of energy consumption data at local government level for most sectors

6. 2. Renewable Energy Assessment for Local Government Areas: City of Playford (SA) and Manningham (Vic) Solar, wind and biomass potential Calculated total energy demand for each LGA Manningham: potentially 95-110% of current total energy demand is possible with current technologies (largely from SolarPhotoVoltaics) Economically feasible: 43% (Manningham) and 35% (Playford) Key issue: Solar PV is currently not economically viable, but this is changing

7. 3. Energy Efficiency Potential for LG Areas: City of Playford (SA) Potential reduction in Energy use (16.5%) and GHG emissions (39%) Economical feasible 4.7% and 30% respectively Industrial sector greatest potential Some potential for reductions in residential sector Key Issue: Any gains from energy efficiency measures are outweighed by growth projections in energy use.

8. RMIT UniversitySlide 8 Going Carbon Neutral: the problem of energy demand Technical Solutions Not Enough Solutions divided – technical and behavioural Current approach to behaviour change inadequate Social practices and norms emerge and are shaped by their social and systemic contexts (social, institutional, regulatory, infrastructures) Mix of strategies needed to generate changes in social practices

9. Current approaches to changing behaviour Dominated by the ‘rational choice model’ Common policy responses preoccupied with use of information and pricing signals Technological solutions are preferred and individuals are autonomous Ignores emotional responses, role of habits, routines, norms and social embeddedness of decision making and systems

10. Common assumptions in behaviour change programs Assumption 1: The right information will lead to appropriate behaviour Information is useful but not enough to motivate and sustain changes in social practices Assumption 2: People respond rationally to the facts People do not respond rationally but often emotionally; habits and routine can be ‘locked in’ or constrained by social norms, infrastructures and regulations. Assumption 3: Primacy of individual over collective BC Ignores social and structural context shaping practices

11. Going Carbon Neutral: Changing behaviour Reviewed over 100 programs across Australia broadly addressing energy use; energy efficiency; energy conservation and demand management in residential sector

12. Review of Programs By Lead Organisation

13. Review of Programs By Target Audience and Program Focus

14. Review of Programs By Primary Approach

15. Review of Programs By Aim and Approach

16. Practices and their components

18. CNC Evaluation Framework

19. Going Carbon Neutral: From behaviour change to systemic change

20. Going Carbon Neutral Means Changing Social Practices

21. Carbon Neutral Communities: Making the Transition THANKYOU Susie Moloney Research Fellow Project Website: www.rmit.edu.au/cnc Contact: susie.moloney@rmit.edu.au or ralph.horne@rmit.edu.auwww.rmit.edu.au/cnc susie.moloney@rmit.edu.au Centre for Design, RMIT University