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Supporting community action on climate change

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How do I support behaviour change?

This section explores why changing our behaviour can be so tricky and what strategies we can use to make it easier.

On this page you will find:

  • Top tips for behaviour change: A 40-minute video clip from Natasha Parker from Global Action Plan. In the clip she introduces behaviour change, behaviour change theory, why people switch to pro environmental behaviours and what this means when it comes to developing local climate projects,
  • Slides: Slides to help work through this topic,
  • Further Resources: A list of further resources including articles, guides, websites, blogs or video clips help build knowledge of the topic. Note these resources are external pages not moderated or managed by Cambridge Carbon Footprint.

Top Tips for Behaviour Change

Further resources

Behaviour change, public engagement and Net Zero
This extensive research paper by Imperial College London shows how behaviour change principles and public engagement can be used for working toward Net Zero goals. The executive summary and first chapter are particularly relevant.

Criteria for Behavior Change Interventions
This UN Environment Programme report aims to provide a framework on how to assess how successful environmental interventions and projects have been.

Levers of Behavior Change
An overview of six categories of intervention strategies that can help change behaviour.

Rethink Climate: Behaviour and communication
A 5-part BBC programme on climate change. Episode 2 covers behaviour and communication. What lifestyle habits are we prepared to give up to stop climate change?

The Elephant, The Rider and The Path – a tale of behaviour change
A commonly held belief is that human behaviour is the result of rational decision making based on available information. A closer look into the science of behaviour reveals the powerful role our emotions play in our decision making process. This animated video looks at the behaviour change process using Jonathan Haidt’s analogy of an elephant, a rider, and a path.

Global Action Plan
An environmental charity focused on issues where the connection between the health of people and our planet is most tangible. Their current focus issues are air pollution, big tech, and the education system.

How do I support behaviour change?

This session will look at:

  • what makes effective communicators;
  • and an introduction to behaviour change, behaviour change theory, why people switch to pro environmental behaviours and what this means when it comes to developing local climate projects.

Resources

Essential reading

ThemeTitleTypeTimeDetails
Communicating climate changeLet's change how we talk about climate changeVideo clip0:13:00TED talk outlining five things that don't work when communicating climate change and four things that do.
Communicating climate changeHow to have a useful conversation about climate changeBlog0:06:00A psychology professor outlines eleven steps to having a useful conversation about climate change.
Communicating climate changeHow to step up in the face of the climate crisisVideo clip0:14:00Talk by youth climate campaigner, Clover Hogan, on how to communicate climate change positively to younger people and how to limit climate anxiety.
Communicating climate changeSustainababblePodcast0:01:00An informal, chatty and free climate change podcast: "A weekly podcast about the environment, for and by the confused. Your hosts Ol and Dave are supposed to be experts in how to save the planet. But why’s everything got to be so confusing? Each week they try to get a little bit closer to enlightenment. They may fail."
Communicating climate changeBritain Talks ClimateReport1:00:00Full report by Climate Outreach looking at engaging the British public on climate change.
Communicating climate changeAre the public ready for net zero?: Executive Summary and Next StepsReport0:30:00A Climate Outreach report looking at how to communicate the concept of net zero to the British public. Most relevant pages 1-5 and 17-32.
Communicating climate changeRural Attitudes to ClimatePresentation0:45:00A research document by Climate Outreach looking at how attitudes to climate change differ in rural areas.
Communicating climate changeClimate visuals: from photos to videoVideo clip0:10:00How do use images in environmental campaigns
Communicating climate changeEngaging the public on COP26Webinar1:00:00A Climate Outreach webinar looking at how to engage the public on COP26, the 2021 UN climate conference taking place in Glasgow.

Further reading

ThemeTitleTypeTimeDetails
Effective ActionDeforestation: What's wrong with planting new forests?Video clip0:03:00Video explaining the benefits and pitfalls of reforestation
Solutions39 Ways to Save the PlanetPodcast0:15:00BBC Radio Four, in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society, presents 39 ideas to relieve the stress that climate change is exerting on the planet.
SolutionsOur ten bold ideas for climate action in the 2020sReport0:15:00By Possible. (formally 10:10 Climate Action) on their top 10 solutions to climate change
SolutionsSouth Cambridgeshire District Council: Community Clear upsWebsite0:05:00SCDC supporting communities to run litter picking activities
SolutionsNet Zero Climate: Tools LibraryTool0:10:00A library of hundreds of free practical tools for businesses, policy makers and organisations of every size and across every sector to help organisations meet net zero targets
SolutionsThe Climate Crisis: Towards Zero CarbonVideo clip0:13:00Cambridge University alumni Sir David Attenborough and Dr Jane Goodall DBE, and leading Cambridge University researchers, talk about the urgency of the climate crisis – and some of the solutions that will take us towards zero carbon.