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Abstract
Reducing energy demand is not simply about developing energy efficiency measures and technologies, but also changing behaviour and everyday practices. Although the over-emphasis on individual behaviour as the main driver of transition to low-carbon societies may be contested on the grounds that it distracts attention from the wider structural, economic and political factors, it is widely acknowledged that pro-environmental behaviours play an important part in such a transition. But, what constitutes such behaviour? Why do people behave in the way they do? What motivates them to change their behaviour? What are the key factors in behaviour formation and change? This paper aims to address these questions by drawing on three dominant perspectives on environmental behaviour and its drivers: the rational economic, the psychological and the sociological perspectives. The aim is to provide a conceptual understanding of behaviour, illustrated with example from energy consumption.
Acknowledgment
This paper draws on three interconnected collaborative research projects including: the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded Retrofitting Sustainability (October 2011 to June 2012) as part of the EPSRC Bridging the Gaps funding initiative (Award reference EP/J501359/1), the EPSRC funded Sustainable Retrofitting (April 2012 to March 2013) as part of the EPSRC Global Secure: Sustainable Energy through China-UK Research Engagement (SECURE) (Award reference EP/K004689/1), and the European Commission Framework Seven Programme funded Planning, Urban Management and Heritage (PUMAH) ([FP7/2007-2013] grant agreement no [295045]).
Notes
1 Drawing on practice theories, Shove (Citation2010) also suggests that to make progress in energy reduction, we should focus on the practices that lead to the demand for energy (such as cooking, showering, etc.) and not just on energy per se.
Additional information
Dr. Simin Davoudi is Professor of Environmental Policy and Planning at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape and Associate Director of the Institute for Sustainability at Newcastle University, UK. She is past President of AESOP, Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and served on numerous government and research councils advisory panels nationally and internationally.
Dr. Luke T. M. Dilley is currently affiliated to the Centre for Regional Partnership at the Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences of Kobe University.
Jenny Crawford is a PhD student at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at Newcastle University.