Theme 3: Understanding and influencing pro-environmental behaviour: Research projects 2007/2008

EV0402  Public Understanding of Links between Climate Change and Energy and Food consumption in the Home

This research will take a qualitative approach to achieve objectives including:

  • A deeper understanding of the way people conceptualize the relationship between their in-home behaviours and climate change consequences
  • Exploring and testing potential information and communication interventions focusing on a number of specific behaviours

 

EV0404  Per Capita Carbon Footprints

This research will contribute to Defra’s understanding about the people who have now accessed the Government Act on CO2 calculator. 

The objectives of this project are:

  • Explore public understanding of terms such as ‘carbon’, ‘carbon footprint’ and ‘carbon allowance’
  • Gather information on how people use the Government carbon calculator in real time and interpret the results
  • Examine the extent to which knowing the carbon impact of their lifestyle makes people think about their behaviour and plan alternatives
  • Explore the relationship between the use of carbon calculators and similar tools, and actual changes in action and behaviour
  • Provide a comparative understanding of the relative impacts (carbon footprint) of each of the Defra segments.

 

EV0405  Public Understanding of Sustainable Clothing

This research used three phases of qualitative techniques to explore the following objectives: 

  • Understand people’s aspirations with specific relationship to clothing
  • Unpack consumer understanding of the concept of sustainable clothing and of terms/ products such as “organic” cotton and fair trade clothes
  • Understand consumer assumptions of ‘good’ clothing
  • Understand consumers’ acceptance of the need, and ability, to consume in sustainable ways
  • Explore consumers’ responses to potential behaviour goals
  • Understand public expectations of the role for government, retailers and producers in the supply of sustainable clothing
  • Clarify possible differences in understanding, assumptions, aspirations and expectations according to varying demographics

 

EV0406  Household and Economy Wide Impacts of Changing Environmental Behaviours

Defra’s Environmental Behaviours framework draws up an initial set of behaviours that could help contribute to sustainability. This project will consider the micro- and macro-economic effects of the uptake of those proposed behaviour goals. The objectives of the project include:

  • To analyse the direct costs and benefits resulting from different scenarios of uptake of the headline behaviour goals.
  • To assess how feasible it is to quantify any indirect effect, due to households spending any saved income on other goods and services (especially where these could have negative environmental impacts).
  • To produce a conceptual note on how the impacts from objectives 1 & 2 are likely to affect the wider economy, for example, pressure on infrastructure, effects on different economic sectors in the UK, balance of trade.

 

EV0407: Investigating Motivations – Focusing on Specific Segments and Behaviours

The overall aim of this project is to provide segment specific findings about key motivations for pro-environmental behaviours; and their potential for promoting pro-environmental behavioural change.

The objectives of the research are:

  • To explore how identity, norms and related motivations contribute to pro-environmental behaviour by segment.
  • To explore how key motivators are constructed and understood by individuals, and operate in practice.
  • To understand these key motivations in relation to the influence of, and interaction with, other motivators and barriers.
  • To assess the reactions of different segments to motivation-based messages about pro-environmental behaviours.
  • To develop recommendations about which motivations could be used as the basis of effective policy solutions and communication strategies by pro-environmental behaviour and segment.

 

EV0408 The diffusion of environmental behaviours; the role of influential individuals in social networks

In mainstream commercial marketing, the concept of a 'maven' is increasingly well established.  A maven is an individual with two key attributes: they have specialist or detailed knowledge about consumer products; and they are perceived as a trusted and reliable source of information by other individuals in their social network.  The proposed research will investigate the notion of 'green' mavens, with a view to identifying specific opportunities for communications and policy.

Page modified: 30 September 2009
Page published: 22 October 2007