Transcript 8_Heather Greer - Brussels pres 11Feb09 SHORT VERSION

POSSIBLE COURSE FOR
FUTURE OF BEHAVIOUR
CHANGE IN EUROPE
Heather Greer
NRL IRELAND
11 February 2009
The BEHAVE Project
As we have already seen:
•The BEHAVE Project results are revealing
•Since 2000, we see positive changes in (best)
practice (‘best’ assuming the chosen cases do
represent best practice)
•But there is still a loooooong way to go!
We see…
• Little evidence of a truly multi-disciplinary approach –
psychologists, social psychologists, sociologists,
economists, business…
•Little evidence of lessons from other sectors
•Little evidence of integrated, multi-pronged
approaches to behaviour change
•Little evidence of a deliberate accumulation of
knowledge and wisdom, even within individual
implementing bodies
We see… (Contd)
• Little evidence of synergy between behaviour
change programmes, even within the energy field;
little evidence of synergy between Member States
•Apart from projects like this, and work done by
bodies like EnR, almost no ongoing opportunity to
share experiences and ‘learnings’ between Member
States
•Little evidence that many programmes result in
real/significant/durable results! Or cost-effective
ones!
The reality is that, in general…..
We [Member States, agencies] still tend to do it
alone and in isolation from others and from
past lessons…..
…..And compared with behaviour change
programmes in other sectors, we probably do it
rather badly.
Two contrasting examples from other
sectors
•The US “Got Milk” advertising campaign ran
over five years, cost $100M, and showed zero
increase in milk consumption!

•Florida’s first “TRUTH” anti-smoking
campaign, designed/implemented with multidisciplinary, scientific, research-based
approaches, reduced teenage smoking by a
fifth in one year! 
The reality is that, in general…..
We [Member States, agencies] still tend to do it
alone and in isolation from others and from
past lessons…..
…..And compared with behaviour change
programmes in other sectors, we probably do it
rather badly.
Yet the need has never been greater
How could we in Europe
get smarter about all of
this?
The time has come to…
Take energy-related behaviour change
seriously, at the European level
•Address common E-RBC needs/objectives
via some Europe-wide behaviour change
programmes, seeing these as action
research from which we:
Build a shared body of knowledge
Learn about similarities and differences
How might we achieve this?
A virtual EU Centre of Excellence – a
European Centre for Energy-Related
Behaviour Change
[A shared initiative by the Member States and the
European Commission?]
What would such a Centre do?
•Assemble a body of knowledge of relevant theory,
practice, experiences and tools, across disciplines
•Facilitate use of this knowledge by MSs and EU in
programmes and projects, including EU-wide
•Undertake research
•Analyse funds/resources currently allocated to
behaviour change across EU, identifying common/
shared concerns and objectives; identify synergies
•Coordinate pan-European projects on shared issues
(e.g. Smart Meters; Building Energy Rating)
•Build knowledge of cultural/social/other factors to
be taken into account in EU level programmes
What would such a Centre do? (Contd)
•Provide expert resources to help in developing truly
effective behaviour change projects/programmes
•Educate, inform, promote via website, publications
(Journal?), events, seminars/training
•Promote the view that almost all aspects of energy
efficiency/conservation, and of new energy systems/
technologies, have a consumer dimension; and…
•…Highlight the importance of effective
behaviour change in energy…. Create greater
visibility for behaviour change in national
and EU energy research programmes
Some possible research projects
• Identify/analyse socio-economic-cultural
factors, across Europe
•Identify and apply relevant/innovative
segmentation methods
•Innovative approaches that funadamentally
alter behaviour (commitment…identity?)
•Technical-behavioural interfaces (an
ethnomethodology of energy use?)
•Integrating impact evaluation into behaviour
change programmes
A personal view
•Over 20 years, I’ve seen much that is
useless and little that is effective
•I’ve seen lessons learnt, forgotten, and then
learnt again… and again…
•I’ve seen little real focus on the consumer,
other than as window-dressing
We cannot allow that to continue!
POSSIBLE COURSE FOR
FUTURE OF BEHAVIOUR
CHANGE IN EUROPE
Heather Greer
NRL IRELAND
11 February 2009