How do we create better habits for ourselves and the planet? Catch up on highlights from our expert and reader debate
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experts and full
behaviour change debate.
""We're not as rational as we would like to think. More information is not the answer" opened GreeNudge and CICERO's Steffen Kallbekken. Unilever's Richard L Wright added "Successful communication requires a very high level of engagement - making it expensive. We need cleverer, more cost-effective ways to engage people." To illustrate this, Sainsbury's Sarah Ellis reminded us: "Customers can spend as little as 6 seconds making a decision at the shelf."
"We have to identify behaviours we'd like to see, then arrange rewarding environments - or disincentives for undesirable behaviours...If it's not practical to make permanent changes to the environment, or if the effects wear off as we habituate to their presence in our environment, then we may not see long term impact
"For example, the environmental impact of carrier bag charging is in many ways debatable. However, the change pushes reuse and environmental impact to front of mind, raises awareness and reminds at every checkout. This wider impact and the creation of a new social norm have yet to be quantified but achievable change in incremental steps is crucial. (Carl Hughes)
"People need at least seven portions, but there was an understanding that this would be unachievable by most. It therefore made sense to encourage five on the basis that this would have a positive, albeit lesser effect."
If the motivation is extrinsic (eg: monetary) the change is unlikely to be sustained once the incentive's removed, and also unlikely to be transferred to other domains of behaviour. If the motivation is intrinsic (eg: value-based) the behavioural change is much more likely to be sustained over time (Steffen Kallbekken)
Explicit pro-environment and sustainability attitudes have little predictive value in terms of behaviour. This is not specific to sustainability our habits, impulses, and desire for comfort and convenience have trouble competing with even our best intentions and dearly held beliefs. (Michelle Shiota)
There is a broad societal desire to become more sustainable, less wasteful and more efficient, however there are barriers to this becoming a reality. First, not everyone shares these desires. Second, those who do may not actually behave in accordance with these desires - the Value-Action gap. (Carl Hughes)
When faced with a £30 two hour flight or a £100 six hour train, I will often fly even though I know I shouldn't. And that probably offsets everything else 'good' that I do.
In reality it varies, some things stick after you've done them twice, because they just make sense (less water in your kettle), others take more persistence (smoking). At The DoNation, all pledges are set to two months, if users succeed, 81% of them continue for the long term (Hermione Taylor)
...leveraging the natural human motives to play, compete, test ourselves, earn rewards, and take care of our loved ones
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