A model to encourage behaviour change and more sustainable lifestyles in London through the use of familiar narratives and metrics

摘要

Although understanding of environmental science and the related impacts deriving from human behaviour has been evolving for more than 100 years, the widespread dissemination of information about this subject across the public domain is comparatively recent. The development of the internet in particular has facilitated this dissemination and the technology has been employed in an attempt to change behaviour. Government surveys indicate that legislation, digital technology and tools are having a positive effect on practice in the commercial and public sectors although the real extent of their impact is confused by the 'outsourcing' of materials production, manufacture and transport. Although the general public are now more aware of environmental issues and sustainability, the effectiveness of current tools within the domestic sector is debatable as illustrated by increasing energy use and levels of consumption for example. A number of reasons why the tools are failing to change behaviour are identified in current literature, one of which is that the tools are impersonal. It was therefore proposed that a more personal tool based on familiar narratives would increase and accelerate behaviour change. The first stage of the project involved a pilot study, the main intent of which was to ascertain whether any reasons exist in addition to those in the literature that explain why current tools are failing to change behaviour. The results of pilot study both answered and raised questions however.