eg magazine sustainability, resource efficiency & climate change

With citizens across Europe consuming 30% more natural resources than the Earth can replenish, the Framework for Sustainable Lifestyles aims to help Defra and other organisations meet the challenge of achieving lifestyles that minimise our impact on the environment.

The framework provides a useful tool in helping to shape an influencing behaviours approach across a range of policy areas. It particularly gives definition as to how to influence different groups of people rather than treat everyone the same. The Centre of Expertise on Influencing Behaviours can also provide a workshop to outline how best to use this approach.

The framework has been published by Defra’s Centre of Expertise on Influencing Behaviour, which seeks to influence the behaviour of people and businesses by contributing to the development of more effective interventions.

Understanding and influencing behaviours

The framework sets out Defra’s approach to understanding and influencing behaviour, outlining a set of key behaviours that constitute a sustainable lifestyle, identifying best practice to influence behaviour and offering insights on why some people act. The new framework builds on Defra’s influential 2008 Framework for Pro-Environmental Behaviour and draws on developments in the evidence base over the last 2 years.

To enable sustainable lifestyles and informs the development of interventions that address motivations and barriers at a personal and societal level, the framework seeks to understand:

• The key behaviours for sustainable lifestyles;
• What people and businesses are currently doing, what different groups will do, and with what level of support;
• Where the key impacts are;
• The motivations and barriers to action;
• The package of tools and interventions that will secure the change and how they can be most effective;
• Who should develop and deliver these tools and interventions.

More information: http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/10/framework-for-sustainable-lifestyles/?utm_source=email&dm_i=A78,J29N,44GGHG,1JUBC,1