Promoting sustainability and pro-environmental behaviour through local government programmes: examples from London, UK

Abstract

In recent years within the UK, behaviour change as a policy tool has gained popularity. Concurrently, the role of local authorities in both tackling unsustainability and reducing carbon emissions has become more prominent. This paper describes a recent study in the UK that aims to understand how local authorities are working to tackle unsustainability and encourage pro-environmental behaviour change in the population. Through interviews with local authority sustainability officers from London, this paper reviews the extent of sustainability work currently being undertaken by local authorities to assist residents transition to a more sustainable lifestyle. The study discusses key findings from the interviews, drawing on the commonalities and factors that influence local authority sustainability programmes. The key finding from these interviews is that there is a need for more robust monitoring and evaluation of local authority sustainability programmes. Robust evaluation would improve understanding of the potential contribution that local authority sustainability work could make towards addressing unsustainability and meeting national emission reduction targets. In addition, it would assist the development of the evidence-base on behaviour change interventions and their effectiveness.

Keywords::

• behaviour change
• local authorities
• climate change
• sustainability
• London
• UK

Acknowledgements

The sustainability officers who took the time to participate in this research are acknowledged and thanked.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/G037698/1].