George marshall presentation at manchester workshop 05.03.09

Behaviour Changefor Climate Change

Changing Behaviour: What do you know? Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

Thursday, 5th March 2009George Marshall,

Climate Outreach Information Network

Oxford UK

BEHAVIOUR

VALUES- WORLD VIEW

LIFE EXPERIENCE

BELIEF - ATTITUDES

SELF-IMAGE

CHANGE

REINFORCE

SELECT

TREATS

RETURN

Problem strategies

One size fits allTop down communications

Ignoring cultural context

Problem messages

We’re all going to fry‘Save the planet’

Change!Easy steps

Environmental Defense -Runaway Train

AudienceMessage

MessengerMediumAction

General publicIt’s urgentGreen NGO, ad agencyTV Ad- youtube Take action? Share this ad?

Problem messages

We’re all going to fry‘Save the planet’

Change!Easy steps

Problem messages

We’re all going to fry‘Save the planet’

Change!Easy steps

Act on CO2- UK Government

AudienceMessage

MessengerMediumAction

Public (middlerange non-green)Save energy, reduce emissionsAd agencyTV and print ads. WebsitesSimple actions. Calculate emissions

Typical ‘tips’ with their actual annual savings

Never use a new plastic bag

Change one standard lightbulb to a low-energy lightbulb

Never leave your TV on standby

Turn down heating in average house by one degree

Commute to work by bus

Become a vegetarian

Make one fewer flight

Kg Co2

5

17

25

230

400

500

500–12,000

% Average person’s annual emissions

0.04%

0.14%

0.2%

1.8%

3%

4%

4-96% (depending on the flight)

Recent focus group findings

Exeter University research: cited The Guardian 24th September 2008

"I recycle 100% of what I can, there's not one piece of paper goes in my bin, so that

makes me feel less guilty about flying as much as I

do.“

Quote of participant

The longest and the most frequent flights were taken by those who were most aware of environmental issues

Winning strategies

World viewPeer to Peer

Make action possible..…and FUN!

Case Study: Don’t Mess with Texas

The audience was general public but especially young working class men

The action was to stop them littering on the roads

The campaign has been running for 12 years. It includes bumper stickers, t-shirts, and encourages people to report other litterers.

George

AudienceMessage

MessengerMediumAction

Middle Americans not greensGas guzzlers support terroristsNGO, ad agencyAdvertsBuy a fuel efficient car

Winning strategies

World viewPeer to Peer

Make action possible..…and FUN!

COIN Open House Programme

AudienceMessage

MessengerMediumAction

Peer GroupsDesigned by householder Ordinary peopleOpen housesEco-renovate houses

Over 1,500 people visited 8 houses

during one weekend

COIN Speaker Training Programme

AudienceMessage

MessengerMediumAction

Peer GroupsDesigned by speaker Ordinary peopleIndividual presentationsGive talks. Promote belief and lifestyle change

Over 900 people trained by COIN at one day speaker training events

Winning strategies

World viewPeer to Peer

Make action possible..…and FUN!

Group support

Winning messagesRewards

People like youTell a story

Resonant Metaphors

RewardsMoneyTime

ValidationPrideStatus

Acting out your principles

Winning messagesRewards

People like youTell a story

Resonant Metaphors

What happened when people saw this message in the Arizona Petrified

Forest National Park?

Your heritage is being vandalized every day by theft. losses of petrifiedwood of 14 tons a year,

mostly a small piece at a time

Winning messagesRewards

People like youTell a story

Resonant Metaphors

Story one

A terrifying future is coming. Whatever we do, it will be a disaster. We must immediately change our way of life and give things up to prevent it being even worse. And even then it may be too late.

We need to be ready for the big changes that are coming. Because we are smart we can work together to adapt and protect ourselves. And the changes we are making will lead to a healthier and happier life.

Story two

Winning messagesRewards

People like youTell a story

Resonant Metaphors

DiversityLand of

OpportunityProgressChange

New Vision

I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas.. I am married to a

black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners. I have family of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in

no other country on Earth is my story even possible.

Resonant themes

ResiliencePrideIndependenceSelf Reliance

Welsh Rugby Union

Solidarity JobsNegotiating PowerSocial Progress

Trades Unions

Questions

Is the change worthwhile?Is it voluntary or enforced?Can people take ‘ownership’?Can it multiply beyond target group?

george@coinet.org.ukwww.coinet.org.uk