How do we get ‘the public’ to take action on climate change?

1. How do we get ‘the public’ to take action on climate change? Rachel Howell

2. Why bother with individuals? Office of National Statistics, 2004

3. Information deficit model Information Concern Behaviour change

4. Concern ≠ behavioural change Ipsos MORI 2007

5. Issues about understanding • Confusion with ‘ozone hole’ problem • Difficulty understanding time lag – therefore believe problem can be solved quickly if necessary • Not very visible causes, impacts distant in time and space from those who cause most emissions • ‘Climate change’ v ‘global warming’

6. Understanding: Uncertainty about the science

7. Understanding: Making the links • I don’t believe my everyday behaviour and lifestyle contribute to climate change: (N.B denial?) • I need more information on what I could do to be more environmentally friendly: (All numbers are % of respondents)

8. Psychological/cognitive factors • Values • Habits – we don’t make rational, conscious choices all the time • Knowledge and learning • Ascription of responsibility Social context • Social norms • Agency • Choice architecture

9. ‘Knowledge’ and ‘learning’ • Knowledge is constructed rather than simply received • New info is fitted into existing mental models, therefore people may remember quite different info from same presentation • Tacit knowledge • Importance of ‘social learning’ • ESD: needs to be less prescriptive, more emphasis on ability to find own solutions?

10. Ascription of responsibilityIndividuals should be expected to do… Ipsos MORI 2008

11. Conflicting views? Ipsos MORI 2008

12. We like our lifestyles! • Any changes I make to help the environment need to fit in with my lifestyle:

13. Social norms Descriptive norms: what people observe is ‘normal’ e.g. through seeing recycling boxes Injunctive norms:what people believe others think they should do my neighbours will think I'm lazy if I don't recycle

14. Agency: two aspects • “I can do something” Barriers: cost, opportunities, time etc • “It’s worth me doing something” It’s not worth me doing things to help the environment if others don’t do the same:

15. Agency

16. Groups can increase agency • Sharing knowledge • Moral support • Sense of impact • Accountability

17. Choice architecture The context in which we make choices: • Infrastructure

18. Choice architecture The context in which we make choices: • Infrastructure • Layout/order

19. Choice architecture The context in which we make choices: • Infrastructure • Layout/order • Defaults

20. Promoting behaviour change • Messages • Architecture • Processes

21. Communications/messages • Make information locally relevant • Using trusted messengers • Using images, stories, vivid language • Appeal to emotions • Tailored messages • Feedback • Using social norms

22. Using emotions and stories

23. 2055

24. Problems with fear appeals • People don’t like feeling helpless • Can trigger denial, apathy, repression, anger, counter-productive defensive measures Problems with guilt appeals • People may change their attitudes to match their actions if the gap between the two is pointed out

25. Tailored messages: Defra's segmentation model

26. Tailored messages: cultural theory

27. Tailored messages: values • For individualists: “You can save money” • For those who like the status-quo (hierarchists): “Protect our beautiful natural heritage” • For ‘greens’: “Do your bit for the environment” • This supports current values. Will this lead to problems in the future when we need people to make further changes?

28. Feedback • 5-15% reduction in energy use by giving immediate feedback to consumers through a meter/display monitor (Darby, 2006) • UK Government intends to bring in smart meters in all homes

29. Using social norms • Electricity usage of 287 households in California measured several times • Half got 'normative' feedback just telling them whether they were above or below average • Half got 'injunctive' feedback: (Combining feedback and tailored messages) Below average Above average Schultz et al 2007

30. People care about norms! Without happy/sad faces: • Above average users cut electricity use • Below average users increased use! ('boomerang effect')

31. People care about norms! Without happy/sad faces: • Above average users cut electricity use • Below average users increased use! ('boomerang effect') With happy/sad faces: • Above average users still cut usage • Below average users kept use low Ayers et al 2009 found small even with injunctive feedback

32. Changing choice architecture changes choices Examples: • Provision of infrastructure • Economic incentives/disincentives (e.g. mileage allowance for cycling vs. car travel) • Choice editing (e.g. light bulbs) • 'Nudges'

33. Nudges To count as a 'nudge', the intervention must be optional, and easy to avoid Thaler & Sunstein 2009

34. An example of a nudge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw

35. Possibilities • Location of bus stops and car parking • Default settings for appliances • Ordering of information (high carbon options last) • …? But how far will 'nudging' get us?

36. Process of change: Foot-in-the-door theory • Small changes lead to bigger ones • People self-identifying “I am someone who does things to help the environment” • People get used to action; it’s not as difficult as they thought • Others suggest evidence is small, undetectable, or even in reverse direction e.g. people think “I’m already doing my bit by recycling” e.g. Thøgersen & Ölander 2003, Crompton 2008

37. Process of change: ‘Stages of change’ model

38. Commitments • Public pledges: people are more likely to do something if they have publicly agreed to do so • Implementation intentions: getting people to think about how they will do something Gollwitzer & Brandstätter 1997

39. The question to be considered in evaluating a particular intervention is 'what works, for whom, under what circumstances?' rather than the more common (and simplistic) 'what works?' (Middlemiss, 2008)

40. Warning! • Some sociologists (and others) think the emphasis on individuals is misplaced • Instead we should look at practices (e.g. showering/bathing) • Practices are made up of 'stuff' (e.g. tin bath/power shower) + skills (e.g. how to use bath/shower/soap) + meanings (e.g. cleanliness/freshness/relaxation) • Interventions should aim to change elements of practices, not individual behaviour

41. References • Ayers et al, 2009. Evidence from two large field experiments that peer comparison feedback can reduce residential energy usage. Cambridge, MA, National Bureau of Economic Research. • Crompton, 2008. Weathercocks & Signposts: The environmental movement at a crossroads. WWF. • Darby, 2006. The effectiveness of feedback on energy consumption: A review for Defra of the literature on metering, billing and direct displays. London, Defra. • Defra, 2008 A Framework for Pro-environmental Behaviour Change. • Defra, 2009. 2009 Survey of public attitudes and behaviours towards the environment. (All strips showing % agreement with statements came from this) • Gollwitzer & Brandstätter, 1997. Implementation Intentions and Effective Goal Pursuit. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology73(1): 186-199. • Ipsos MORI, 2007. Tipping Point or Turning Point? Social Marketing and Climate Change. (Boxed figures with red headings came from this)

42. References • Ipsos MORI, 2008. Public attitudes to climate change, 2008: concerned but still unconvinced. (Boxed figures with blue headings came from this) • Middlemiss, 2008. Influencing individual sustainability: a review of the evidence on the role of community-based organisations. International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development 7 (1), 78-93. • Office for National Statistics, 2004. The impact of UK households on the environment. • Schultz et al, 2007. The Constructive, Destructive, and Reconstructive Power of Social Norms. Psychological Science18(5): 429-434. • Thaler & Sunstein, 2009. Nudge. Penguin Books • Thøgersen & Ölander, 2003. Spillover of environment-friendly consumer behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology23(3): 225-236. You can find the non-journal articles online.

43. Thank you! Questions? Rachel Howellr.a.howell@sms.ed.ac.uk

44. Group tasks • For those who have seen The Age of Stupid: discuss what you see as the pro and cons of the film. How did you feel after seeing it? What overall message did you take away? Did you take any action as a result? If not, why not? • Sketch out an idea for a poster to encourage students at Edinburgh Uni to cut their carbon footprints • Sketch out a plan for a series of events to encourage students to cut their carbon footprints • Sketch a plan for a stunt to attract attention in Bristo Square to get students to sign a petition, take info, and make a pledge