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How the public thinkslower-carbon behaviour
could be made mainstream
InstituteforPublicPolicyResearchChallengingideas Changingpolicy
ConsumerPower
RegPlattandSimonRetallack
September2009
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TheInstituteforPublicPolicyResearch(ippr)istheUKsleadingprogressivethinktank,producing
cutting-edgeresearchandinnovativepolicyideasforajust,democraticandsustainableworld.
Since1988,wehavebeenattheforefrontofprogressivedebateandpolicymakingintheUK.Throughourindependentresearchandanalysiswedefinenewagendasforchangeandprovidepractical
solutionstochallengesacrossthefullrangeofpublicpolicyissues.
WithofficesinbothLondonandNewcastle,weensureouroutlookisasbroad-basedaspossible,
whileourGlobalChangeprogrammeextendsourpartnershipsandinfluencebeyondtheUK,givingus
atrulyworld-classreputationforhighqualityresearch.
ippr,30-32SouthamptonStreet,LondonWC2E7RA.Tel:+44(0)2074706100E:[email protected]
www.ippr.org.RegisteredCharityNo.800065
ThispaperwasfirstpublishedinSeptember2009.ippr2009
Aboutippr
Acknowledgements
Wewouldliketothankthefundersofthisprojectformakingitpossible:Coca-Cola,EnergySavingTrust,JMGFoundation,PilkingtonEnergyEfficiencyTrustandtheSustainableConsumptionInstitute.
WewouldalsoliketoexpressourthankstoPatDadeandCulturalDynamicsfordonatingtheir
servicesintheuseoftheValuesModesmethodologyforrecruitingparticipantstothedeliberative
workshops,aswellastoAndrewLongandTenfordonatingtheirtimeandthatoftheirHomeEnergy
Advisorteam,whichcarriedout10homevisitsforipprtoobservetodrawlessonsforthisproject.
WeareverygratefultoDanfossRandallLtd,InvensysControlsEurope,SiemensHeatingControlsand
SolarCenturyfordonatingtheirproductsforuseinthedeliberativeworkshops.Wearealsodeeply
indebtedtothefollowingpeoplefortheirinvaluableintellectualinputduringthecourseofthe
project:PatDade,GregRowland,GillEreaut,SolitaireTownsend,BrianSamuel,AndrewLong,Fanny
Calder,ChrisPowell,JonCracknell,JimPotterandMatthewLockwood.Lastly,specialthanksto
BrookeFlanaganforherworkingettingthisprojectupandrunning,aswellastoRuthSheldon,NaomiJonesandNaomiPollardforalltheircontributionstothequalitativeresearchaspectsofthe
project.
Abouttheauthors
RegPlattisaResearcherinipprsCitizens,SocietyandEconomyprogramme,withexpertisein
qualitativeresearchmethodsandaspecialistinterestinclimatechange.SimonRetallackisAssociate
DirectorandHeadofClimateChangeatippr.Hehasledipprsresearchonbehaviourchangeand
climatepolicy.
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Executivesummary............................................................................................................. 4
1.Introduction................................................................................................................. 10
Aimsandobjectives ..................................................................................................... 10Whichtargetaudience? ............................................................................................... 10
Whichbehaviours?....................................................................................................... 12
Researchmethodology................................................................................................. 14
2.Perceptionsofclimatechangeandlower-carbonbehaviour ................................... 16
Climatefatigue ............................................................................................................. 16
Uncertaintyaboutthescience ..................................................................................... 16
Cynicismtowardsgovernmentandcompanies ............................................................ 16
Confusionaboutthecausesofclimatechange........................................................... 17
Confusionaboutsolutions ........................................................................................... 17
Concernsabouteffectiveness........................................................................................17
Resentmentaboutfeelingguilty................................................................................. 18
Negativeperceptionsofenvironmentally-friendlypeople ......................................... 18
Costasabarrier............................................................................................................ 19
Costasamotivator....................................................................................................... 19
Awarenessofclimatechange....................................................................................... 20
Doingyourbitandadislikeofwaste ........................................................................ 20
Theimpactofparenthood ........................................................................................... 21
3.Perceptionsofspecificlower-carbonchoices............................................................ 22
Energymonitors ........................................................................................................... 22
Heatingcontrols........................................................................................................... 24
Solarpanels .................................................................................................................. 25Energy-efficientvehicles.............................................................................................. 27
UKholidays .................................................................................................................. 30
Holidaytravelbytrain .................................................................................................. 32
Homeenergyassessments ........................................................................................... 33
4.Conclusionsandrecommendations ........................................................................... 36
Guidanceforclimate-changecommunications ........................................................... 36
Proposalsforpromotingspecificlower-carbonconsumerchoices ............................. 40
Finalthoughts.............................................................................................................. 45
References........................................................................................................................ 46
Appendix:TheNowPeople ............................................................................................. 47
Contents
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ChangingthepublicsuseofenergyathomeandonthemoveiscriticalforreducingtheUKsoverall
emissionscontributingtoclimatechange.However,beyondtheenvironmentallyinclined,thereisa
verysubstantialgroupofpeoplewhoaredoingverylittleinresponsetocommunicationsandpoliciesdesignedtopromotebehavioursandchoicesthatwillreduceemissions.Thisreportpresentsthe
findingsofaninvestigationintowhythishasbeenthecase,andintohowbehaviourthatproduces
feweremissionswhichwerefertoaslower-carbonbehaviourcanbestimulatedamongsome
membersofthisgroup.
Targetaudience
Thepeoplewehavetargetedinourresearchandwhoweurgeotherstotargetwith
communications,productdevelopmentandpoliciesarecalledtheNowPeople.TheNowPeople
formasubgroupintheValuesModessegmentationmodel,whichcategorisespeopleaccordingto
theirdifferentpsychologicalmotivations,drawingonAbrahamMaslowstheoryofneeds.
NowPeopleseekpsychologicalrewardsinstatus,fashion,success,andtheesteemandrecognitionofothers.Theytendtohaveahighlevelofmotivationtoconsume,andtheirprominentpositionwithin
socialcirclesmakesthemadriveroffashionsandtrends,meaningthattheyareaparticularlypowerful
subsectionofthepopulationwhenitcomestodeterminingconsumption-relatedbehaviours.Forthis
reason,theyareoftenthetargetofmarketingcampaigns.
However,whenitcomestoclimatechange,relatedcommunications,productsandpolicieshavenot
beendesignedwithNowPeopleinmind,andsohavefailedtoprovidethemwiththecluesor
opportunitiestosatisfytheirneeds,leavingthemunengagedorswitchedofffromtheissues.This
hasactedasabrakeontheadoptionoflower-carbonbehaviouracrosssociety.
Aimsandmethods
ipprconductedsixdeliberativeworkshopswithNowPeopleinLondon,YorkandjustoutsideBristol,inlate2008andearly2009,tofindoutwhatmightmotivatethisgrouptoact.Intheseworkshops,
wegaugedperceptionsofclimatechangeandlower-carbonbehaviouringeneral,aswellasinrelation
tosixspecificlower-carbonconsumerchoices:
Energymonitors
Heatingcontrols
Solarpanels
Energy-efficientvehicles
UKholidays
Holidaytravelbytrain.However,weaimedtoexploreparticipantsattitudestolower-carbonlifestyleoptionswithout
imposinganenvironmentalframeworkonthem.Assuch,theworkshopsfocusedonthethemeof
shoppingratherthanclimatechangeandcarbon.Thisenabledustoexplorethemoregeneral
processesthatparticipantsadoptwhenmakingconsumerdecisions,ratherthanfocusingsolelyon
whytheydonotchoosethelower-carbonoption.Thetopicofclimatechangewasnotintroducedas
athemefordiscussionuntiltheveryendofeachevent.
Theworkshopfindingswerecomplementedbyobservationsofhomeenergyassessmentsinthe
homesof10NowPeople,followedbyin-depthinterviewstogaugetheirreactionstoenergyadvice
tailoredtotheirownhomes.
Webelievethatthefindings,whichwesummarisebelow,willbeofvaluetoanyoneinterestedindesigningcommunications,products,servicesandpoliciesaimedatincreasingtheuptakeoflower-
carbonbehaviourfromenergyutilitiestocarmanufacturers,trainoperatorsandtheUKtourist
trade,aswellasgovernmentandenvironmentalcampaigners.
Executivesummary
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Perceptionsofclimatechangeandlower-carbonbehaviour
Inhibitingattitudes
Manyparticipantsexpressedawearinessandfatigueaboutthesubjectofclimatechange.Manyof
theworkshopsbecamenotablylessanimatedfollowingtheintroductionofclimatechangeasatopic
fordiscussion.Somefoundtheissueveryboring.Othersdismisseditasfaddyandtrendy.
Therewasageneralacceptancethatclimatechangeishappening,andthatitisprobablydueatleast
inparttohumans,butthathumansareunlikelytobewhollyresponsible.Someconfusedclimate
changewithozonelayerdepletion,andlinkedclimatechangetorecycling,remarkingthatbyrecycling
theythoughttheywerealreadydoingtheirbitanddidnotnecessarilyfeeltheyhadtodoanymore.
TherewasageneralcynicismaboutthemotivationsoftheGovernmentinpushingforactionon
climatechange.SeveralparticipantssuggestedthattheGovernmentcouldbeusingtheissueasa
meansofincreasingtaxation.Othershighlightedinconsistenciesandhypocrisyonthepartof
governmentandcorporations,suchasthedecisiontograntpermissionforthebuildingofthethird
runwayatHeathrow.
Manydiscussionsalsocentredontheineffectivenessofadoptingsmalllower-carbonbehaviourswhen
otherswerestillemittingelsewhere.Thiswasaverycommonperception.Themostregularfree-riders
referredtowereothercountries,companies,andotherpeoplewhowonteverchange.
Manyoftheparticipantsfeltthatpreviousrequestsforthemtodomorefortheenvironment,orfor
climatechange,hadmadethemfeelguiltyabouttheirlifestyles,andsomewereresentfulofthis.
Manyalsosawpeoplewhoengageinenvironmentally-friendlybehavioursasself-righteousand
smug.
Anoverridingperceptionwasthatwhenmakingapurchase,costisamoreimportantconsideration
thanenvironmentalimpact.Participantssaidthattherecessionhadmadecostincreasinglyimportant,
pushingenvironmentalpurchasesfurtherintosecondplace.
Encouragingattitudes
Thosewhohadalreadymadeenergy-reducingchangeshaddonesobecauseofcostandthehigh
pricesofbills.Somewerekeentofindanywaypossibleofsavingmoney,referringtotherecession
andhighfuelbillsasmajormotivators.Othersalsoexpressedadesireforgreatercontroland
autonomywithregardstotheirenergysupply,againstabackdropofhighenergyprices.
Itisworthnotingthatduringdiscussionsaboutcostsavingsthatmightbeachievedbyadopting
lower-carbonbehaviours,participantsoftensawthebenefitsastheabilitytospendthemoneysaved
onpotentiallycarbon-intensivebehaviours.
Intermsofclimatechangeitself,participantshadagoodawarenessoftheissueanditsdifferent
facets,includingmeltingicecaps,polarbearsandcarbonfootprints.Therewerealsofrequent
referencestochangestoweatherpatternsintheUK.Somereferredtotheimportanceofeveryonedoingtheirbitfortheenvironment,andhowdoingthisgaveyouapositivefeeling.Several
participantsalsoexpressedastrongdislikeofwasteandpollutioningeneral.
Beingaparentappearedtoplayalargepartinparticipantsawarenessofclimatechangeandthe
extenttowhichtheyengagedinlower-carbonbehaviours.Thiswasalsoanimportantfactorinhow
theparticipantsthoughtaboutthefutureandtheconsequencesofactionstakentoday.
Perceptionsofspecificlower-carbonconsumerchoices
Energymonitors
Asignificantminorityoftheparticipantswerenotinterestedintheideaofanenergymonitor(a
devicethatshowshowmuchelectricityisbeingusedinthehomeatanygivenmoment)becausethey
believeditwouldbeannoyingandwouldstopthemrelaxing.However,mostoftheparticipants
receivedtheideapositivelybecauseofthemoneytheysawthatitcouldsavethem,oftenrelatedto
thecreditcrunchorhighenergyprices.
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Ideasformarketingtheenergymonitorincludedemphasisingthatitwaslowcostandthatitcould
easilysaveyoumoney.Thebenefittotheenvironmentwasmentioned,butonlyasaminorpoint.One
groupattemptedtoincreasetheappealofsavingmoneybyemphasisingthepleasurethatcouldbe
gainedbyspendingthismoneyelsewhere.Otherssuggestedusingordinarypeoplewhohappentobe
famous,suchasthetelevisionpresentersTessDalyandVernonKay,togainmainstreamappealforthe
product.
Heatingcontrols
Theoverridingreactiontothisproductwasgeneralconfusionaboutwhatitdid.Thecontrolsoffer
additionalfunctionalitytowhatisprovidedbyexistingdomesticheatingcontrolsbutparticipantsdid
notseemanybenefitstothis.Theresultantconfusiontranslatedintoagenerallackofinterestinthe
productandofdesiretopurchaseone.Wheretheparticipantswerepositiveabouttheproduct,itwas
initsabilitytosavethemmoney,aswellasbeingeasytoinstall,andmodern.
Marketingsuggestionsfocusedonthefinancialbenefitsoftheproduct,emphasisingthewaythat
heatinginthehomewasdirectlylinkedtospendingmoney.Onegroupachievedthisbydepictinga
housewithnoheatingcontrols,withpoundsignsescapingfromthepropertylikeheat,accompanied
bythesloganYourcostscontrollingyou??Keepcontrolofyourcosts!!.Anotherusedacelebrity
couple,LouiseandJamieRedknapp,toselltheheatingcontrols,drawingonthecouplesimageas
beingdowntoearthandfamilyoriented.
Solarpanels
Someparticipantsfeltthatdomesticsolarpanelswereunattractive,andquestionedwhethertherewas
enoughsunshineintheUKforthemtobeabletoworkwell.However,themaindisincentivewasthe
largeupfrontcost.However,participantswerepositiveaboutthepurchaseingeneral,andmany
wouldhavebeeninterestedinbuyingtheproducthaditcostless.Severalsuggestedwaysinwhich
theGovernmentcouldregulatetomakesolarpanelsmoreaccessible.Suggestionsincludedputting
panelsonallnewbuildings,offering0percentloans,andprovidingdiscountedstampdutyforhomes
withpanelsinstalled.
Indiscussionsaboutmarketingtheproduct,environmentalimpactwascitedasasecondaryorminor
benefit.Moreprominentreasonsforbuyingtheproductincludedbeingabletosavemoney,being
abletoinsulateoneselffromfluctuatingenergyprices,andusingthepanelasaninvestmenttoadd
valuetoonesproperty.Onegroupputastrongemphasisonnormalisingtheproduct,usinganimage
ofanordinaryrowofhouseswithsolarpanelsbeingfittedtomakeitseemaccessibletoaverage
households,andnotjustthepreserveoftherich.
Activitiestoreduceemissionsfromdomesticenergyusewerealsodiscussedaspartofthe10home
energyassessmentsweobservedandthein-depthinterviewsweconducted(seePerceptionsofhome
energyassessments,p.7).
Energy-efficientvehicles
Concernsabouttheenvironmentalimpactofcarshadnotplayedasignificantroleinanyofthe
participantspreviouspurchasingdecisions.Wherethisconsiderationhadplayedapartintheir
decision,thiswassecondarytoreducedrunningcostsduetoincreasedfuelefficiencyorlowerroad
taxforcars(especiallycompanyones)withhighemissions.Mostplacedastrongemphasisongood
valueformoney,aswellasonqualityandreliability.Forparents,safetywasparticularlysignificant.
Thecolourandaestheticofthecarswerealsoveryimportantfactors.
Inreactiontoinformationandimagesofdifferentmodelsofcar,SUVs(sportsutilityvehicles)stood
outashavingaparticularlynegativeimage.Theywereseenasimpracticalincitiesandunsafefor
otherroadusersandpedestrians,andtheirdriversoftendescribedasselfish.Meanwhile,ofthetwo
carswepresentedwithhighfuelefficiency,theHondaCivicwasbyfarthebestreceived,dueto
perceptionsthatHondawasareliablebrandandthatthelookofthecarwasmodernandstylish.Thecarsfuelefficiencywasalsoimportant,andtheenvironmentalbenefitthisofferedwas
welcomed,buttheseconsiderationsweresecondary.Incontrast,themajoritywereverynegative
abouttheSmartCar,largelyduetoitsaesthetics.Itwasdescribedasatraineronwheels,hideous,
ugly,adisabledcar,arollerskate,smugandself-righteous.
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UKholidays
Participantsoverwhelminglypreferredtotakeholidaysabroadthanathomeaboveall,becauseof
thelackofsunshineandamountofrainintheUK.Participantsconsideredhavinggood,hotweather
andaswimmingpooltobekeyingredientsforaholiday,anddidnotperceivethistypeofweatheras
guaranteedintheUK.AnotherinhibitingfactorwasthecostoftakingholidaysintheUKcomparedwiththecheapflightsavailabletogotocountrieswithlowerlivingcosts.
Veryfewdiscussionssuggestedthatparticipantscouldbepersuadedtostoptakingholidaysabroad.
However,participantswerepositiveabouttakingtripsintheUKifthesewereinadditiontorather
thaninsteadofaproperholiday.Manyspokepositivelyaboutdifferentpartsofthecountry,suchas
Cornwall.
Holidaytravelbytrain
Manyoftheparticipantssaidtheytendedtotakeholidaysabroad,oftentomediumandlong-haul
locations,whereflyingwasoftenperceivedtobetheonlytransportoptionavailable.Flyingwasalso
seenasaverycheaptraveloption.Severalcommentedthatbeingatanairportwasexciting.This
aspectwasseldomfrequentlymentionedinrelationtoothertransportoptions,exceptwiththe
Eurostartrainlink.
Travellingbytrainwasseentoinvolvelessbotherthanflyingandasmorerelaxing,althoughtravelling
aroundBritainbytrainwassaidtobeveryexpensiveandreachingplacesoutsideofmajortownsby
traindifficult.ExceptfortakingtheEurostartoParis,travellingtoEuropeandestinationsbytrainwas
notseenasanalternativetoflying.Somealsowantedtheflexibilityofferedbytravellingbycarto
theirholidaydestinationandhavingacaronceonholiday.
Perceptionsofhomeenergyassessments
Ourobservationof10NowPeoplereceivingahomeenergyassessmenthighlightedthevalueof
providingprofessional,independent,face-to-faceinformationrelatingtoenergyusethatis
individuallytailored,usingengaginggraphicsandthermalimagery,andassessorswhomakepeople
feelcomfortable.
However,wefoundthatNowPeoplewerereluctanttopay100200forhomeenergyassessments
themselves,andhadmixedviewsaboutcommissioningaconciergecompanytoarrangequotesfor
themforhomeimprovementwork.Commitmenttoundertakethemeasuresrecommendedalsocame
upagainstthebarriersdiscussedinthefirstthreeconsumerchoicesdiscussedabove,fromhigh
upfrontcoststouglyaesthetics.
Generalguidanceforclimate-changecommunications
Ourresearchhasidentified10keyaspectsofNowPeopleattitudesthatshouldbetakenintoaccount
whendesigningclimate-changecommunications,asfollows:
1.Dontfocusonclimatechange ThestartingpointofanycommunicationseffortstoencourageNowPeopletoadoptlower-carbonbehavioursshouldbearecognitionthatalackofawarenessof
climatechangeisnottheproblem.MostNowPeopleareaware,butthatawarenessissimplynot
motivatingenough.Othermotivationsneedtobedrawnon.Ourresearchsuggeststhiscanbe
achievedinanumberofways.
2.Focusonsavingmoneynow Theresearchclearlysuggeststhatcommunicationsthatemphasise
themoney-savingpotentialofadoptinglower-carbonbehaviourswillbemuchmoreeffectivewith
NowPeoplethanurgingthemtotakeactiononthebasisthatitwillpreventclimatechange
particularlyinthepresenteconomicclimate.Butsavingmoneyitselfcouldbemademoreappealing
forexample,byemphasisingthepleasurablethingsthatthemoneysavedcanbespenton.
3.Preventthereboundeffect Takecaretopreventareboundeffectinwhichpeoplespendthe
moneytheyhavesavedonother,potentiallyhigh-carbon,purchases,suchasflying.Topreventthis
effect,itmaybenecessarytoensurethatcommunicationsrefertotheneedtoreducecarbon
pollutionratherthanemissionsorusehumourtosatirisehigh-carbonbehaviours,whilemaking
lower-carbonchoicesdesirable(theseideasareexplainedinpoints46below).
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4.Talkaboutcarbonpollution,notC02 emissions Thechoiceoflanguageisimportant.Referringto
(dirty)pollutionislikelytohavemoreimpactthanreferringto(invisible)emissions.Similarly,
carbon,widelyperceivedasblackanddirty,mayalsobemoreeffectiveterminologytousethan
invisiblecarbondioxide.
5.Satirisehigh-carbonbehaviours NowPeoplecouldbediscouragedfromcontinuingparticularhigh-carbonbehavioursthroughhumourandtheuseofgentlemockery,sarcasmandsatire
associatinghigher-carbonchoiceswithunattractivepersonalities.Thiscanhelpmakethesechoices
undesirableandmakeavailablearangeofalternative(lower-carbon)behavioursfromwhichNow
Peoplecanchooseforthemselves,leavingthemwiththesensethattheystillhaveroomforself-
expression,whichtheyprize.Comedyprogrammescanbeparticularlyinfluentialinthisregard.Now
Peoplesmaindriveistolookcooltoothers,andtheytendtonoteanythingthatdetractsfromtheir
imageandactuponitquickly,tomaintainorchangetheperceptionsofothers.
6.MakeitdesirableAnotherwaytoovercomethereboundeffectisthroughthecontinuousre-
creationofsustainableproductsandbehavioursintoobjectsofdesiretheverythingthatturned
thepollutingcarintosomethingthatNowPeoplehadtohave.Inthesedifficulteconomictimes,
thesecouldperhapsbedepictedasthetechnologiesandbehavioursoffashionableausterity.
7.Rememberthatbeingincontrolmatters NowPeopleareexperiencinganxietyabouthighand
fluctuatingenergyprices(includingtheroleofenergycompanieswithinthissituation),andinsecurity
andadesireforcontrol,duetoturbulencewithintheeconomyandfinancialsystem.Thisoffersthe
potentialforeffectivecommunicationsonlower-carbonbehaviours.NowPeoplemayrespondwellto
communicationsemphasisinghowenergy-savingmeasurescanoffercontroloverenergycostsand
independencefromenergycompanies.
8.Makeitfun Communicationsthatarefunandhumorousarefarmorelikelytocaptureand
sustaintheattentionofNowPeoplethancommunicationsthatareoverlyserious.
9.AvoidguiltandtheenvironmentallabelCommunicationsthatpromotefeelingsofguiltshould
beavoided,asthesedriveNowPeopletodisengage.CommunicationsshouldavoidsayingYouarenotdoingenoughorYouarenottakingresponsibility,butshouldacknowledgeandpraisethe
actionsthatNowPeoplearealreadyundertaking,andbuildonthose.AsNowPeopletendtodescribe
peoplewhoengageinlower-carbonbehaviourasbeingsmuganddifferenttothem,communications
mustalsopromotelower-carbonbehavioursasbeingnormalforNowPeople,whilestilloffering
themsomethingatwhichtheycanexcel.
10.Usemessengersthatkeepitreal Participantsputaclearemphasisonusingcelebritieswho
NowPeopletrustandassociatewithaspeers,ratherthanhigher-rankingcelebrities,suchaspopor
filmstars.ThissupportsthenotionofneedingtonormalisebehavioursforNowPeople.Itisalso
notablethatnoneoftheparticipantssuggestedenvironmentalorganisationsselllower-carbon
products.Thebrandimageofthesegroupsisnot,norshouldbe,forNowPeopleaspurveyorsof
objectsofdesire:thisisasteptoofarforthem.
Proposalsforencouragingspecificlower-carbonbehaviours
Thecommunicationsandpoliciesneededtoincreasetheuptakeofspecificlower-carbonbehavioursby
NowPeopleshouldsupporteachother.Itiscriticalthatgovernmentensuresconsistencybetweenthe
messagesandpoliciesthatitadopts.Duetothemistrustofgovernmentthatexists,changesalsoneed
tobeintroducedtransparently,andanyrevenuesraisedfromtaxinghigh-carbonactivitiesshouldbe
usedtomakelower-carbonoptionscheaper.NowPeoplewillinstinctivelyrejectstealthtaxes.Policy
frameworksarealsoneededtoensureinnovationinthedesignoflower-carbonproductsandservices
toattractNowPeople,givenhow,alltoofrequently,aestheticsactasabarriertoadoption.
Energymonitors
Assmartmeterswhichremotelyrecordcustomerselectricityuseandletthemknowhowmuchtheyareusing,asenergymonitorsdoarerolledoutnationwide,governmentshouldsetminimum
standardstoensurethatthemeterincorporatesapermanent,visiblein-homedisplaydesignedto
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engageusers,andasupportpackagepreparinghouseholdersforthemetersarrivalandenabling
themtoactonitsfeedback.Communicationsshouldemphasisethatthesmartmeterisamodern
gadgetthatcansavetheusermoney,providemorecontrol(givenfluctuatingenergybills)andoffer
enjoyment,byenablingtheusertospendthemoneytheysaveonsomethingpleasurable.
Heatingcontrols
Communicationsaboutheatingcontrolsneedtoconveyclearlywhattheydoandthemarked
differencesincontrol,financialgainandcomforttheyoffer.Theyshouldalsoportraythisitemasthe
newest,best,latest,mostmodernpieceofkit.Governmentandmanufacturersshouldalsoengagewith
installerstoensurethattheyareawareofheatingcontrolsandthemoney-savingbenefitstheyoffer.
Solarpanels
Toovercomeresistancetohighupfrontcosts,furtherfinancialassistancewillbeneeded,suchasmore
upfrontsubsidies,discountsonstampduty,low-orzero-interestloans,oron-billrepayment.Solar
panelsalsoneedtobemademorevisible,toincreaseawarenessandacceptability.Henceallnew
housesshouldhavethemfitted,withdemonstrationhomeswithpanelsinstalledineachlocality.
Communicationsneedtoemphasisestronglythecontrolandself-sufficiencythatpanelscanoffer.
TheymustalsodispeldoubtsthatpanelsdonotworkintheUK,positioningthemasattractive
moderngadgetsthatarenormalforNowPeople,whilehelpingmakeNowPeoplelookspecial.
Energy-efficientvehicles
Governmentshouldcontinuetoincreasetaxforcarswithhigheremissionsandshoulddeliveronits
commitmenttoprovidesubsidiesforthemostfuel-efficientcars.Regulationandincentivesarealso
neededtoensurethattrustedbrandsincorporatelower-carbontechnologyintotheirmodelsand
designthemtobeaestheticallyattractive.Communicationsshouldhighlightthemodern
technologiesthatthesecarsinclude,andtheirabilitytocontrolfuelbills,andportraythemasspecial
butnormal,tocaterforNowPeoplesconstantanxietyaboutwantingtobeleadingedgebutnot
tooleadingedgecool,butnotsocoolthattheyarelaughedat.
UKholidays
AsustainedcampaignisneededtoencouragelocalbreaksandholidaysintheUKasafunwayof
gettingawayfromwork.UKdestinationsneedtoofferbetterlevelsofcomfort,atreasonableprices,
andtopositionthemselvesasmodernholidayoptions.Apackageofincentivesshouldbeprovidedto
helpimprovethefacilitiesoffered,tobringanewgenerationoffamiliesbacktoplacesthathave
becomeoldfashioned.Policyshouldalsofocusonincreasingthecostofairtravel,generating
revenuestoimprovethealternatives,whilecommunicationscouldusehumourtogentlymockpeople
whotaketoomanyflights.
Holidaytravelbytrain
Governmentandtrainoperatorsneedtofindwaysofreducingthecostoftraintravelsothatit
becomesattractivelypricedcomparedwithcartravelandflying.Trainoperatorsshoulddomoretocommunicatethecheaperratesthatarealreadyavailableifticketsarebookedinadvanceandoffer
morediscounts.Ensuringthatservicesareavailableattimeswhenpeoplewanttotravelonbreaksis
alsovital,requiringarethinkofmaintenanceandupgradingschedules.
Communicationscouldhelpbyplayingupthehassleandstressofflyingwhilecreatingabuzzabout
traintravelandmainlinestations.Thiswillrequireastrategytoupgradeexistingfacilities,with
governmentsupportifnecessary.
Finalthoughts
Ultimately,ourresearchsuggeststhatsuccesswilllieinourcollectiveabilitytopersuademainstream
consumersthatinadoptinglower-carbonlifestylestheycansavemoneyandhavefun,theycanhave
controlinachaoticworld,theycandotherightthingandlookgoodwithoutbeinganenvironmentalist,andtheycanstillbethemselves.Ifwecanachievethat,whileputtingthepoliciesin
placetoensurethatlower-carbonoptionsareaffordable,attractiveandvisible,wewillhavecomea
longwaytowardsmobilisingthepowerofconsumersinthebattleagainstclimatechange.
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IntheUK,theenergythatindividualsuseintheirhomesandforpersonaltransportisresponsiblefor
44percentofthecountryscarbondioxide(CO2)emissions.Almost60percentoftheemissionsby
anaverageUKcitizencomefromusingenergyinthehome,while40percentcomesfromtransport,includingflying(Retallacketal2007).Changingthepublicsdomesticuseofenergyandtransport
choicesisthereforecriticalforreducingthecountrysoverallcontributiontoclimatechange.
Akeychallengeisthatasignificantproportionofthepopulation,whileacceptingthatclimatechange
ishappeningandthathumansarecontributingtoit,hasnotshownawillingnesstomakebehavioural
change(ibid).Beyondthosewhotakeabove-averageinterestinandactiononenvironmentalissues
theenvironmentallyinclined,andearlyadoptersoflower-carbonbehaviours,thereisavery
substantialgroupofpeoplewhobyandlargehaveeithernotbeenthetargetofeffortstochange,or
havenotrespondedtoclimate-changecommunicationsandpolicies.
Thisreportpresentsthefindingsofaninvestigationintohowlower-carbonbehaviourcanbe
stimulatedamongsomeofthisgroup.HavingengagedwithconsumersfromdifferentpartsoftheUK
throughdeliberativeworkshops,wehavedevelopedpracticalrecommendationsonhowtoincentivise
individualsfromthisgrouptoreducetheircontributiontoclimatechange,basedonunderstanding
theirbarrierstoactionandthemosteffectivewayswithwhichtoovercomethem.
Aimsandobjectives
ThefindingsofthisreportarebasedonipprsConsumerPowerprojectapieceofworkdesignedto
identifythecommunicationsapproachesandpoliciesneededtofacilitateachangeinbehaviour
amongmainstreamconsumersthosewhohaveyettomakesignificantchangestoreducetheir
carbonfootprint.
Theaimoftheprojectwastodevelopapracticalsetofanswersthatcouldbeusedbyarangeof
differentcompanies,fromenergyutilitiestocarmanufacturers,trainoperatorsandtheUKtourist
trade,aswellasbygovernment,theagenciesthatitfunds(suchastheEnergySavingTrust),and
environmentalnon-governmentalorganisations.
Tofulfiltheprojectsaims,severalsub-questionswereformulated.Theseincluded:
Howdopeoplenotveryinterestedinormotivatedbyenvironmentalissues(thenon-environmentally-inclined)perceiveclimatechangeandlower-carbonbehaviouringeneral?
Whatdoesthismeanforcommunicationsandpoliciesaimingtoincreasetheuptakeoflower-carbonbehaviouringeneral?
Whatfactorsinfluencenon-environmentally-inclinedpeoplesperceptionsofspecificlower-carbonbehaviours?
Howcanthesefactorsinhibitorencouragetheuptakeofspecificlower-carbonbehaviours?
Thetargetaudience
Thehistoryofcommercialmarketingshowsthatknowingandsegmentingonesaudiencesisapre-
conditionofsuccess.Asdifferentgroupsofpeoplehavedifferentcapacitiesandmotivations,andface
differentbarriers,theyneedtobetargeteddifferently,usingmessages,messengers,communications
channelsandpoliciesthatareappropriateforthem.Hence,understandingthedifferencesbetween
subgroupsofthepopulationisessential.Inparticular,audiencesneedtobeknownsufficientlywellto
understandwhatwillmotivatethemtomakechanges,sothatinterventionscanbetargeted
appropriately.
Forthisreason,weidentified,engagedwithandsoughttounderstandaspecificsegmentofthe
populationusingapsychographicsegmentationtoolknownastheValuesModesmodel.
TheValuesModesmodel,developedbyCulturalDynamicsStrategyandMarketingLtd,drawson
Maslowstheoryofpsychologicalneeds,andcansegmentanysampleofthepopulationintothree
1.Introduction
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broadmotivationalgroupsand12further,morefinelytuned,groups.Thesegmentationisbasedon
morethan35yearsresearchoftheBritishpopulationthroughCulturalDyamicsBritishValuesSurvey.
Thelatestroundofnationalresearchgatheredresponsestomorethan1,000questionsfrom10,000
nationallyrepresentativeadultsagedbetween15and80.
Thissegmentationenablesanyoneseekingtochangebehaviourstoimprovethewaythatapproachesarecraftedonthebasisofapsychologicalunderstandingofwhatmotivatesdifferentpeopleto
behaveindifferentways.Thiscomplementsourunderstandingofthepracticalissuesandbarriersthat
influencepeople.Usersofthisapproachhaveincludedlargecorporationsandpublicinstitutions,from
UnileverandShelltotheBBCandpoliticalparties,inmorethan40countries.
TheValuesModesmodeldividesthepopulationmostbroadlyinto:
Pioneers(40percentoftheUKpopulation).Theyhaveinnerdirectedneeds:theyseekanethicalbasisforlife,self-explorationanddiscovery,theyaresocietysnaturalactivists,andthey
valuequalityandaestheticsmorethanstatus.
Prospectors (30percentoftheUKpopulation).Theyhaveesteemorouterdirectedneeds:
theylivefortoday,andseekpsychologicalrewardsinstatus,fashion,successandrecognitionbyothers.Theyunderpinconsumersociety.
Settlers (30percentoftheUKpopulation).Theyhavesustenance-drivenneeds:theyneedtoprotectwhattheyhave,dislikethreatstoidentity,belonging,securityorsafety,tendtohavea
strongcomfortfocusontheirhomes,andprioritisefinancialsecurityandspendtheirmoney
morecautiously.
PeoplewhohaveworkedforenvironmentalorganisationshavetraditionallytendedtobePioneers,
andconsequentlyhaveoftenusedthelanguageandapproachofPioneersinreachingouttothe
public,whichisunlikelytobeeffectiveforthetwo-thirdsofthepopulationwhoarenotPioneers.
Agenciesthathaveusedsocioeconomicandlifestylesegmentationmodelshavetendedtotargeta
similargroupofpeople:thosewhosesocioeconomicsituationmakesthemenvironmentallyinclinedor
morelikelytobeearlyadoptersoflower-carbonbehaviours(asisthecasewiththeEnergySaving
Trustscampaigns).
WhyProspectorsandNowPeople?
GovernmentandothershavenotconsideredtheProspectorstobeearlyadopters:theyhaveoften
beenseenaspartoftheproblemratherthanthesolution,andsohavelargelybeenignored.We
adoptedanewapproachbyattemptingtoshiftthefocusbeyondtheenvironmentallyinclined,sowe
chosetheProspectorsasthetargetsegmentofthepopulation.
TheProspectorsaredividedintofourfurthersubsections,oneofwhichistheNowPeople(See
Appendix1).ThemottoforthesepeoplecouldbeWewanttheworld,andwewantitnow!Now
Peoplehaveahungerforlife,andwanttodevourit.Lifeisapartytobeenjoyed,andtheywantto
beatthecentreofit.Theyhavealargeneedfortheapprovalofothers,andsohavegreatempatheticsocialskills.Theyattractotherstothem.Theylookfortheflashandintensityinsituations.
Becauseoftheirhighlevelofmotivationtoconsume,andtheirprominentpositionwithinsocial
circles,NowPeoplearedriversoffashionsandtrends,meaningthattheyareaparticularlypowerful
subsectionofthepopulationwhenitcomestodeterminingconsumption-relatedbehaviours.Forthis
reasontheyareoftenthetargetofcompaniesmarketingcampaigns.
TheselectionoftheNowPeopleasatargetforunderstandinginthisreportisbasedinparticularon
thecriticalpositiontheyoccupyoninnovationcurvesintheadoptionofnewideasandbehaviours.
ThePioneershavebeenfoundtobeclassicinnovatorsinthecreationandadoptionofnewideasand
behaviours.However,withouttheNowPeoplesenthusiasticuptakeofthosenewideasand
behaviours,theotherthreeProspectorgroups(and,subsequently,theSettlers)areunlikelytomimicthenewbehaviours.
Thisdynamicofchangehasbeenidentifiedasoneofthereasonsforthelackofwide-scalebehaviour
changeinrelationtoenvironmentalissuesintheUK.Inshort,thePioneershavediscoveredand
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adoptedattitudesandbehavioursthatleadthemtobeseenasmoreenvironmentally-friendlythan
othergroups,buttheProspectorshavenotadoptedthesebehaviourstonearlythesameextent,and
thushaveactedasabrakeonwidespreadchangesinlifestyles.
Asthisreportshows,onereasonforthisisthattheemotionaltriggersactivatedbycurrentclimate-
changecommunicationsandcampaignsarenotthosemostvaluedbytheProspectors.Thisreportprobesanddiscoverstheemotionsthatthesecommunicationsdosucceedintriggeringprimarily
negativeonesandofferssomeinsightsaboutthetypeoftriggersthatareneededinfuture
communications,tochangethebehavioursofthiscrucialgroup.
Readersofthisreportshouldkeepinmindoneoftheoldestandmostusedformulasinanalysingand
creatinggreatcommunicationstheAIDAformula.ThefourlettersstandforAttention,Interest,
Desire,Action.Eachofthesefactorshelpscommunicatorsunderstandtherootofanyongoingissue
inordertoframethebestwayforward.
Intheresearch,NowPeopleseemtobesayingthatinrelationtoclimatechange,theyhavetwoof
thesefactors:attentionandinterest.Butthedesireelementofcurrentcommunicationsand
alternativebehavioursiseithermissing,orisnotsufficientlymotivatingtotakethemontoaction.
Thismeansthatsimplyprovidingmorefactsandpolicieswillnotbethekeytobehaviourchange.
Atpresent,communications,policiesandbehaviouraloffersfailtoprovideNowPeoplewiththe
necessarycluesoropportunitiestobeabletosatisfytheirneedsfortheesteemofothers,throughthe
identifying,acquiringanddisplayingsymbolsofvalue.Itisthispurposethatdrivestheirlivesand
whensatisfied,itgivesthempleasure.So,NowPeoplearecurrentlyperformingbehavioursthatthey
knowarecausingenvironmentalharm,buttheyarenotsufficientlymovedbythepositioningof
currentalternativestochangethisbehavioureventhoughtheirlackofactioncausesanxiety.
Thisprojectisdesignedtounderstandwhatkindsofmethods,contexts,messengers,triggersand
channelswillcreatedesireand,ultimately,motivationtoaction,forthisgroupofpeople.Our
approachwastoworkwiththevaluesthatthisgroupholds,andtofocusdirectlyonchangingtheir
behavioursinordertodelivertangiblereductionsingreenhousegasemissionsregardlessofthemotivationalbasisonwhichthosereductionsareachieved.Therehasbeenconsiderabledebateabout
thistypeofapproach(Crompton2008).Bychoosingitforthisproject,wedonotseektorejectother
approachesbasedonattemptingtoachieveafundamentalshiftinvaluesacrosssocietyawayfrom
consumerism.
Highlightedbehaviours
Inordertogeneratepracticalrecommendationsforcommunicationsandpoliciespromotingbehaviour
change,wefocusedonseveralspecificbehaviours,determinedbyconsideringanumberoffactors
(seeBox1.1onthenextpageformoredetails):
Impactcarbon-savingpotentialfrombehaviourchange
Appeallikelyinterest,visibilityandacceptabilitytothetargetgroup
Feasibilitycapacityofthetargetgrouptoadoptthebehaviour(financialcapability)
Frequencyhowoftenthebehaviourislikelytooccur(habitualvpurchasing).
Thisresultedintheselectionofthefollowingsixlower-carbonconsumerchoices:
Energymonitors
Heatingcontrols
Solarpanels
Energy-efficientvehicles
UKholidays
Holidaytravelbytrain.
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Box1.1.Identifyingconsumerchoicestotest
Indeterminingwhichspecificcarbon-relatedconsumerchoicestotestattitudestowardsinthedeliberativeworkshops,we
consideredanumberoffactors.Theseincludedimpactintermsofcarbon-savingpotentialfrombehaviourchange,appeal
tothetargetgroup,feasibilityofthetargetgroupadoptingthebehaviourandfrequencyhowoftenthebehaviourislikely
tooccur.Inthetablesbelowweshowhowdifferentchoicesandbehaviourscompareinrelationtothesefourcriteria.
Inthehome
Behaviour Impact* Appeal Feasibility Frequency
Insulation(cavitywallandloft) H L H L
Solidwallinsulation H L L L
Condensingboilers/heatingcontrols H M M L
Woodpelletboilers H M L L
Solarwaterheating M M M L
GroundSourceHeatPump H L L L
Micro-wind H H L L
PVpanels H H L L
Glazing(A-C) M M M L
Moreefficientappliances L H H M
CompactFluorescentLightbulbs L L H M
Switchofflights/standby L L H H
Real-timedisplays/bye-byestandby L H H H
Onthemove
Behaviour Impact* Appeal Feasibility Frequency
Eco-driving M L H H
Purchasemoreefficientvehicle H M-H M L-M
Modalshift M L M H
Car-sharing M L H H
Noshorttrips(350kgCO2/year,M=100kgCO2/year-349kgCO2/year,L
=
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Researchmethodology
ToinvestigatethecommunicationsapproachesandpoliciesthatwouldbeeffectiveforNowPeople,
weadoptedaqualitativeapproach.Deliberativeworkshopswereusedtoexploretheprocessesby
whichpeoplemakeconsumerchoices.Thisgeneratedevidenceoftheattitudesandbeliefsthat
underpinconsumerbehaviour,andthecontradictionsandcomplexitiesinherentinthem.Participantobservationsandin-depthinterviewsalsoprovidedevidenceofthesedecision-makingprocessesin
thecontextofpeopleseverydaylives.
Deliberativeworkshops
WeconductedsixdeliberativeworkshopsinordertoexplorethewaythatNowPeoplethinkabout
lower-carbonpurchases.Deliberativeworkshopsareheldoveralongerperiodoftimethantraditional
focusgroups,providinggreateropportunityforparticipantstoexpresstheirviewsfully,andfor
discussionanddebatewithinthegroup.Theworkshopsusedprojectivetechniquesandexercisesthat
allowedustoexplorehowparticipantsviewschangedwhenpresentedwithinformationandhow
viewsevolvedduringgroupdiscussions.
Theuseofdeliberativetechniquesenabledustoexplorethesharednormsthatinfluenceparticipants
consumerdecisions,includingtheprocessesbywhichthesenormsarenegotiatedandinterpreted.
Thisresearchstartedfromanawarenessthattraditionalenvironmentalcommunicationsapproaches
havenotbeeneffectivewithinthistargetaudience.Wethereforeaimedtoexploreparticipants
attitudesandopinionstolower-carbonlifestyleoptionswithoutimposinganenvironmental
frameworkonthem.Assuch,theworkshopsfocusedonthethemeofshoppingratherthanclimate
changeandcarbon.Thisenabledustoexplorethemoregeneralprocessesthatparticipantsadopt
whenmakingconsumerdecisions,ratherthanfocusingsolelyonwhytheydonotchoosethelower-
carbonoption.
First,participantsweregivenaseriesofexercisesthatexploredtheirconsumerpreferencesinrelation
tovehiclepurchases,holidaysintheUKandtravellingbytrain.Theseincludedarangeofhigher-and
lower-carbonoptions.Reasonsforpreferenceswereexploredinsmallgroupdiscussions.
Next,insmallgroups,participantswereaskedtodesignanadvertisementforoneofthethree
domesticproductsidentified:energymonitors,heatingcontrolsorsolarpanels.Theywereinstructed
todesignanadvertisementthatwouldappealtothem,andtochooseanorganisationorindividual
thattheythoughtwouldbebestplacedtoselltheitem.Thisallowedustoexplorewhichfeaturesof
theproductsmostappealedtotheparticipants,whatkindofnarrativesandvaluestheywoulddraw
ontosellthemtootherNowPeople,andwhatkindofmessengerstheywouldprefer.Eachofthe
advertisementswaspresentedandthendiscussedbythegroup.
Thetopicofclimatechangewasnotintroducedasathemefordiscussionuntiltheveryendofthe
event.Eachworkshoplasteduptothreehours.
Sixworkshopswereheldintotal.Twooccurredineachofthreelocationsacrossthecountry:London,YorkandjustoutsideBristol,inYate.
Eachworkshopwasattendedbysevenparticipants;thesmallnumbermeantthateveryonewasableto
participatefullyinthediscussion.Workshopsweresegmentedbygender,withfourall-femalegroups
andtwoall-malegroups,reflectingthefactthatmoreNowPeoplearefemalethanmale.Thegroups
werealsodividedbetweenpeoplewithchildrenandthosewithout,asbothgenderandfamily
circumstancearesignificantinunderstandingdifferencesbetweenparticipantsattitudesandvalues(see
Table1.1below).Thesocioeconomicstatusofparticipantsdidnotformpartoftherecruitmentcriteria.
Thegroupswererecruitedbyareputablemarketrecruitmentcompanythatusesrecruitersatthe
communitylevel,toaccessparticipantsviasocialnetworksanddoor-to-doorcanvassing.Participants
weregiven60asanincentivefortakingpart.
Thediscussionswererecordedandtranscribed,withtheparticipantspermission.Thetranscriptions
werescannedtoidentifyoverarchingthemes.Thesethemesthenformedtheoverallstructurefora
Note:materials
usedduringthe
researchare
availableonrequesttothe
authors,asfollows:
Workshopsdiscussionguide;
Homeobservationsdiscussionguide;
Carsworkshopstimulusmaterials;
Holidaysworkshopstimulusmaterials.
Contact:
[email protected]@ippr.org
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contentanalysisthatwascarriedoutmanually,usingspreadsheets.Theseinitialthemeswereadapted
iterativelyastheanalysisprogressed.Thissystemallowedforaclearbreakdownofthecontentof
eachgroupsdiscussion,includingdifferencesbetweenparticipantsandthroughtime,andfacilitated
clearcomparisonbetweenthegroups.
In-homeobservationsandin-depthinterviews
Thesecondstageoftheresearchforthisprojectinvolvedconductinghomeenergyassessmentsinthe
homesof10NowPeople.TheaimofthisstageoftheresearchwastogaugethereactionsofNow
Peopletoenergyadviceandspecificmeasureswhenconductedintheirhomes.
TheassessmentswereconductedbythelifestylemanagementcompanyTen,adaptedfromthegreen
conciergeservicethatitofferstothegeneralpublic.Afterthehomeenergyassessmentswere
conducted,theparticipantswerebriefedontheresults.ThebriefingincludedseeinganEnergy
PerformanceCertificatefortheproperty,aswellasamoredetailedbreakdownofenergyusewithin
thehome.Thisprovideddetailsofthespecificsofhomeenergyuse,suchasheating,lightingand
draftproofing,showingrunningcostsandCO2 contributionsforeachitem.Variousmeasuresthat
couldbeinstalledtoreduceCO2 emissionswerediscussedwiththeparticipants.Thebriefingwas
observedbyaresearcherandrecorded.
Theassessmentandbriefinglasteduptotwohours,afterwhichanin-depthinterviewwasconducted
withtheparticipantstodiscusstheirexperiencesoftheassessmentandbriefing,andtoaccesstheir
widerperceptionsofclimatechangeandlower-carbonbehaviourmoregenerally.Theinterviewlasted
approximatelyhalfanhour.
TheTenobservationswereheldexclusivelyinLondon.Aswiththeworkshopstheobservationswere
segmentedbygenderandfamilycircumstance,takingintoconsiderationthatmoreNowPeopleare
femalethanmale.Thesocioeconomicstatusofparticipantswasnotapartoftherecruitmentcriteria
(seeTable1.2).
Participantswererecruitedusingthesamemarketresearchcompanyaswasusedfortheworkshops.
Participantsweregiven50asanincentivefortakingpart,andthehomeenergyassessmentwas
givenforfree.
ItisworthnotingthattheresearchforthisprojecttookplacebetweenOctober2008andJanuary
2009aperiodofmajorturbulencewithintheglobalfinancialsystemthatsawbailoutsofhighstreet
banksandgrowingexpectationsofamajorrecessiontofollow.Also,justbeforethisperiod,fuelbills
reachedveryhighlevels,althoughtheyfellduringthetimeoftheresearch.Thesefactorshavehada
significantimpactonthefindingsfromthisresearch.
Table1.1:Samplingforthedeliberativeworkshops
Workshoplocation Gender Children
LondonA Female Without
LondonB Female With
BristolA Male With
BristolB Female Without
YorkA Female With
YorkB Male Without
Table1.2:Samplingforthein-homeobservationsandin-depthinterviews
Observationlocation Gender Children No.ofinterviews
London Female Yes 3
London Female No 3
London Male Yes 2
London Male No 2
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Thisisthefirstoftwochapterspresentingourfindings.ThischapterseekstoidentifyhowNow
Peopleperceiveclimatechangeandlower-carbonbehaviouringeneral.Itoffersseveralreasonswhy
communicationscentreddirectlyuponactingonclimatechangehavenotbeensuccessful,andhighlightscertainareasinwhichthesemessageshavehadsomesuccess.
Climatefatigue
Manyoftheparticipantsexpressedawearinessandfatigueaboutthesubjectofclimatechange,
havingbeenexposedtoextensivemessagesandinformationaboutthisandwiderenvironmental
issues.Thisfatiguewasevidentinthedynamicsofmanyoftheworkshops,whichbecamenotablyless
animatedfollowingtheintroductionofclimatechangeasatopicfordiscussion.Somefoundtheissue
veryboring.Othersusedtermssuchasfaddyandtrendy,suggestingabeliefthattheattention
giventotheseissuesistemporaryandwillpass,andalsothattheissuesmaysomehowbelackingin
substance:
Ithinkitisagimmick,alotofit,andthatputsmeoff.(Female,Bristol,withoutchildren)
Iworkforabigcompany,andweregettingthegreenthingrammeddownourthroat
allthetimeanditsjustgettingreallyboring.(Female,London,withchildren)
Itsoneofthosethingsyouthinkaboutforafewminutes,getdepressed,andmove
ontothenext.(Male,Bristol,withchildren)
Alotofrestaurantsandsuchlikearenowconcentratingmoreonfoodmilesandthings
likethatTome,itactuallyfeelslikeitsoneofthesethingsthatsabitfaddy:that
thatstheinthingtodojustnow.(Male,York,withoutchildren)
Imnotsureifsomepeopleareperhapsjumpingonabandwagon.(Male,London,
withoutchildren)
Uncertaintyaboutthescience
Beyondtheseinitialreactions,asignificantnumberofparticipantshelddoubtsaboutthescientific
basisforclimatechange.Someparticipantsdisplayedstrongscepticismaboutthescientificvalidityof
man-madeclimatechange.Morecommonly,however,therewasageneralacceptancethatclimate
changeishappeningandthatitisprobablydueatleastinparttohumans,butthatweareunlikelyto
bewhollyresponsible.Insupportofthis,participantswouldoftenrefertonaturalcycles,andmany
saidthattheydidnotknowwhattobelieve:
WhilstIappreciateweinfluencethingshowmuchisitjustthattheplanetisgoing
throughitsowncyclesandwhatwouldhavehappenedanyway?(Male,Bristol,with
children)
Theressomanyargumentsastowhatisdowntousandclimatechangeandcarbon
footprint,andwhatisjusttodowiththeEarthitself,thatitsdifficulttotell.(Male,
York,withoutchildren)
Cynicismtowardsgovernmentandcompanies
Oftenmixedwiththisscepticismaboutthesciencewasamoregeneralcynicismaboutthe
motivationsoftheGovernmentinpushingforactiononclimatechange.Severalparticipants
suggestedthatgovernmentscouldbeusingclimatechangeasameansofincreasingtaxation.
Commentsweremadehighlightinginconsistenciesandhypocrisyonthepartofgovernmentand
corporations,suchastheGovernmentdecisiontograntpermissionforthebuildingofthethird
runwayatHeathrow.Theseconflictingmessagesappearedtoreinforcethedoubtsthatsomeparticipantsheldaboutthescientificbasisofman-madeclimatechange:
Itsaformofstealthtaxtosomeextent.Idothinkpeoplefeelgenuinelyasifits
anotherexcusetotaxus.(Female,London,withchildren)
2.Perceptionsofclimatechangeandlower-carbonbehaviour
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Iftheyrereallyseriousaboutdoingstuff,whydonttheyjusttaxthegreen-issue
things?(Male,Bristol,withchildren)
ItsDoasIsay,isntitnotDoasIdo.(Female,London,withchildren)
Ifinditallabitschizophrenicwhentheyopennewairportterminalsforeveryoneand
driveusmadaboutwhatweredoingtotheenvironmentwhenwereflyingoffevery
day.(Female,London,withoutchildren)
Confusionaboutthecausesofclimatechange
Asmallyetsignificantnumberofparticipants,whileacknowledgingthathumanactionsarecausing
theplanettowarmup,displayedconfusionaboutwhatexactlyclimatechangeisandwhatconstitute
theemissionsthatcauseit.Participantsfrequentlylinkedclimatechangedirectlytotheholeinthe
ozonelayer,andforsomeparticipantsthetwoissuesseemedtobeinterchangeable.Theyalso
regularlyassociatedemissionswith,inparticular,visiblesourcesofairpollution.Forexample,itwas
suggestedthatacarwithnovisiblesmokecomingoutoftheexhaustgaveofffeweremissionsthan
onewheresmokewasvisible,andalsothatasmokingpipemaygiveoffemissions.
WhenaskedbytheworkshopfacilitatorWhatdoesthetermclimatechangemeantoyou?,
respondentsrepliedasfollows:
Theozonelayerisgettingscrewed,basically,anditsleadingtoallsortsofworld
changeandmaybetheamountofelectricity,gas,fuelweuseiscontributingtoit
gettingworse.(Female,London,withoutchildren)
AmIputtingemissionsoutintotheworldbecauseImusingmyboiler,soyouseeall
thesmokegoingout?(Female,London,withchildren)
Ismybodyheatgivingoffemissions?(Male,London,withchildren)
Confusionaboutsolutions
Acommontendencyamongtheparticipantswastogroupissuesrelatingtoclimatechangetogether
withothersustainabilityissuesparticularlyrecycling,andethicalbehaviourmorebroadly.Thisis
importantbecausetheparticipantsattitudestowards,andexperiencesof,engagingintheserelated
issuesaffectedhowtheyperceivedreducingtheirenergyuse.
Asignificantnumberremarkedthatbyengaginginrecyclingtheythoughttheywerealreadydoing
theirbitanddidntnecessarilyfeeltheyhadtodoanymore:
IthinkeverybodyfeelsliketheyredoingalittlebitandthatsenoughIwouldnt
sayImfantasticatrecyclingandallthat.Idomybest.(Male,Bristol,withchildren)
IthinkitsgoodtodoyourbitbutIthinkdoingyourbitcanbeenough.(Female,
London,withoutchildren)
Moreover,manyrecountedstoriesaboutrecyclingcontainersbeingshippedtoChina,orbeing
contaminatedeasilybythewrongordirtymaterial,addingweighttouncertaintyabouthowmuch
doingyourbitcouldachieve.
Concernsabouteffectiveness
Manydiscussionsalsocentredontheineffectivenessofadoptingsmalllower-carbonbehaviourswhen
otherswerestillemittingelsewhere.Thiswasaverycommonperception.Thefree-ridersthat
participantsreferredtomostregularlyincludedothercountries,aswellascompanies,shopping
centresthatleavetheirlightsonallnight,andotherpeoplewhowonteverchange:
Youwonderhowmuchimpactithas,dontyou,ifeverybodyelseisntdoingit.
(Female,York,withchildren)YouhearthatonestateinAmericaproducesmorethanallofEurope,andyouthink
Doesitactuallymakeadifference?(Male,Bristol,withchildren)
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WhilsttheChinesepopulationisincreasingby9percentor10percentayear,if
everybodyinEnglandstoppedusingcarsandanyelectricitywewouldmake1percent
differencetothewholeworld.TheChinesepopulationisincreasingby9percenta
yearsowhatsthepoint?(Male,York,withoutchildren)
Youtalktomeaboutsavingenergyinmyownhouse:driveuptheA40andseealltheseofficesat5oclockinthemorningwithalltheirlightson.Askmethat,andI
thinkShit!DoyouknowwhatImean?Youvegotalltheseofficeswithalltheirlights
on,andtheyretalkingaboutsavingelectricity.(Male,London,withchildren)
Resentmentaboutfeelingguilty
AnotherimportantinfluenceonNowPeoplesperceptionofclimate-relatedbehaviourchangeisthe
legacyofpreviouscommunications,andhowtheyhavebeenreceived.Manyoftheparticipantsfelt
thatrequestsforthemtodomorefortheenvironment,orforclimatechange,madethemfeelguilty
abouttheirlifestylesandsomewereresentfulofthis.Severalparticipantsinthehomeobservations
revealedthattheyhadexpectedtobejudgedbythedomesticenergyassessor,andoneinparticular
foundthatthewholeprocessoftakingpartintheassessmentinducedwithinherverystrongfeelings
ofguilt:
(I)dontwanttobemadetofeelguiltyformychoices.IhaveadishwasherandIlove
itandweliveinahouseprobablytoobigforus.Itswarmbecauseweheatit.We
bothworkveryhard,andwebuyreallynicethingsforourhomeIlikeit,andIdont
wanttobemadetofeelguiltyaboutthat,becauseImlivingthelifeIwanttolive.
(Female,London,withoutchildren)
ImfeelingextremelyguiltybecauseIknowIshouldbemoreawareofthesethings
butImnotandIthinkitsabitignorant,butthereyougo.(Female,London,with
children)
Negativeperceptionsofenvironmentally-friendlypeopleOnarelatedtheme,manyalsomadenegativecommentsaboutpeoplewhoengagein
environmentally-friendlybehaviours.Thesetendedtofocusonnegativepersonalitycharacteristics,
withtermsusedsuchasover-virtuous,self-righteousorsmug.Thislanguagemayindicatethatthe
participantsinquestionfeelthattheyarebeingjudgedbytheirmoreenvironmentally-friendlypeers.
Someparticipantsalsorecountedstoriesofpeoplewhopurporttobeenvironmentally-friendlybut
thenengageinabehaviourthatisnotinparticular,byflying.Sometimesthesestorieswereabout
peoplethattheparticipantknew,whileotherswereaboutcelebritieswhohadtravelledbyaeroplane
toplayattheLiveEarthclimatechangeconcert.Thesestoriesservetoundermineandreducethe
credibilityofthoseengagedinenvironmentalbehaviour.
Thenegativestereotypeshighlighted,andthefocusonlocatingflawsinthebehaviourofthose
engagedinlower-carbonbehaviours,areimportantperceptionstoconsider:
Ijustfeelitsalotofmiddle-classpeople[andit]makesthemfeelgoodthattheyre
doingsomething.(Female,London,withchildren)
IvegotareallyextremeneighbourandhesactuallyacameramanfortheBlue
PlanetandstufflikethatBecausehesalwaysupattheNorthPolehesalways
harpingonaboutitsallshrinkingandallthat.Ididpointouttohimhedoesabout
85,000milesinhisplaneeveryyeartogoandfilmit.(Male,Bristol,withchildren)
Theydidthatgig,didntthey?Thecelebritiesdidagigaboutclimatechangeabout
howwevegottoreduceeverything,andtheywereallbeingflowninintheirprivate
jets.(Female,Bristol,withoutchildren)
MyfamilythatlivedowninLewes,theythinktheyreall,like,greenperfect,andall
therestofitbutyettheygoonfourorfiveholidaysayear.AndIm,like,Yourenot
really,areyou?(Female,London,withoutchildren)
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Costasabarrier
Anoverridingperceptionamongparticipantswasthatwhenmakingapurchase,costisamore
importantconsiderationthanenvironmentalimpact.Thiswasstatedexplicitly,andwasfurther
evidencedbythefarhigherprominencethatworkshopparticipantsgavetodiscussionsaboutmoney
comparedtoenvironmentalissues.Inparticular,thecreditcrunchwasreferredtoashavingmadethecostofthingsincreasinglyimportant.Someparticipantssuggestedthatthisfactorwouldresultin
environmentalpurchasesbeingpushedevenfurtherintosecondplace:
IthinkeveryonewantstodotheirpartfortheenvironmentbutifAis5andits
madeinChina,andtheexactsameproductis10butitsmadeoverhereyoure
goingtogofor[theformer]withoutanyguiltreally.(Male,York,withoutchildren)
Forgetthatyourehavinganyimpactontheenvironment.Itsabouthowmuchyou
saveinyourbackpocket.(Male,York,withoutchildren)
MuchasIdliketobegoodtotheenvironment,mywalletismoreimportantI
mean,Iamconsciousoftheenvironmentbut,youknow,peoplespocketsaremore
importanttothem.(Female,London,withoutchildren)
Moneyagainstenvironment,obviously,isabitmoreofabalancenowthanitwas18
monthsago,whenpeoplefeltabitmoreconfidentandhadabitmoremoneyto
spend.(Male,London,withchildren)
Meanwhile,whenparticipantsdiscussedcostsavingsthatmightbeachievedbyadoptinglower-
carbonbehaviours,theyoftensawthebenefitsasbeingabletospendthemoneyelsewhereon
potentiallyhigh-carbonbehaviours:
IfIwastobuildahousetomorrow,itwouldhaveanythingenergysavingthatIcould
possiblyraminittomakeitasenergyefficientasIcouldandthenIcouldhavemy
AudiTT.(Female,York,withchildren)
Costasamotivator
Whereparticipantshadalreadymadeenergy-reducingchanges,thiswasoverwhelminglyrelatedto
costandthehighpricesofbills,ratherthansolelyormainlyinreactiontoconcernsaboutthe
environment.Someparticipantswerekeentofindanywaypossibleofsavingmoney,citingthecredit
crunch,therecessionandhighfuelbillsasmajormotivators.Severaloftheparticipantsalsolinked
highfuelbillstodepletingfuelresources:
Thereasonwearesomindfulofenergyatthemomentisnotthroughreal
environmentalreasonsthatsnotthemitigatingfactor.ItscostItsthecostissues
firstandforemost,andthen,probably,theenvironmentcomesintoit.(Female,
London,withoutchildren)
Iminfuriatingeveryoneinourhouseatthemoment,becauseImonmaternityleaveatthemoment,andwiththecreditcrunchImonarealdrivetosavemoney,andIm
goingaroundthehouseturningthelightsoffafterpeople.(Female,York,with
children)
WiththecreditcrunchBritainisgoingtobeinarecessionnowfor18months.Its
allaboutwhatyouresaving.Thatshowyouregoingtosellthingsonwhatyoure
actuallygoingtosave.(Female,London,withchildren)
Obviously,thewaythingsaregoingatthemomentwithelectricityandthegas
suppliersputtingyourbillsup,youwanttodowhatyoucantobringyourbillsdown.
(Female,London,withchildren)
Importantly,theinfluenceofsuchdriversmeansthatuncertaintyaboutthescientificbasisandcynicismaboutofficialmotivationsforactionarenotnecessarilybarrierstobehaviourchange.
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Twoparticipantswhoexpressedstrongopinionsofthisnaturehadpreviouslyconsideredpurchasing
solarpanels.Theyexplainedthatthiswasbecauseofadesireforgreatercontrolandautonomywith
regardstotheirenergysupply,againstabackdropofhighandfluctuatingenergyprices.
Anotherparticipantintheobservationswhowasquitescepticalaboutthescienceofclimatechange
washighlymotivatedtoreducehisenergyusebecauseofanawarenessofpressureonresources:
IdontthinkmansCO2 emissionsarenecessarilyleadingtothisthingcalledclimate
changeIquiteliketheideaofpeopleusinglessenergyandbeingmorecarefulwith
thingslikethatandbeinglesspollutingetc.Ithinktheymightbedoingitforthe
wrongreasonssoIdontnecessarilywantthedebateopenedup,[but]Imquiteglad
theyredoingalotofthesethingsTherightreasontodoitistonotpollutethe
worldanduseresourcesmorejudiciously.(Male,London,withoutchildren)
Astrongemphasisonsavingmoneywasapersistentandrecurrentthemeacrosstheresearch,and
presentssignificantopportunities.However,financialfactorswerenotalwaysthehighestpriority.For
some,beingoverlyconcernedbysavingsmallamountsofmoneywasboringandtoomuchofa
hassle,andsomethingthatoldbiddiesoradadmightbeinterestedin.
Awarenessofclimatechange
Despitetheconfusionandscepticismreferredtoabove,awarenessofclimatechangewasfairlyhigh
amongparticipants.Somereferredtothefactthatawarenessoftheseissueshasgrown.The
participantsthemselveshadagoodawarenessofdifferentfacetsofclimatechange,includingmelting
icecaps,threattopolarbears,carbonfootprintsandchangestotheweather.Morespecificallythere
werefrequentreferencestonoticeablechangesthatwereperceivedtohaveoccurredtoweather
patternsintheUK.
Poorpolarbearsitsallmeltingandtheyrenotsurviving.(Female,London,without
children)
Ithinkitcomesupwhentheweatherisstrange,moresothananythingfreakyweather.Whenyouhavestorms,peoplestarttothinkaboutitall:Allthisistodowith
climatechange.(Male,Bristol,withchildren)
Ithinkwereveryawareofthewaytheweatherischanging.Idothinkthatstodo
withouremissions,andthingslikethat.(Female,London,withoutchildren)
Thefirstthingthatcomesintomindistheweatherthefactthattheseasonsareall
blurringandareallone.Imean,itclearlyisntbutthewintersaregettingcolderand
thesummersaregettinghotter.(Female,London,withchildren)
IthinktheresnormalpeoplenowthinkingabouttheenvironmentIthinkabout
itmorenowthanIeverdid,andprobablymorebecauseIvegotchildrenandbecause
ofthelasttwolousysummerswevehad.YoujustthinkOhgosh,isitreallystartingtomakeadifference?(Female,York,withchildren)
Doingyourbitandadislikeofwaste
Thereweresomepositivediscussionsaboutpeopleengaginginbehaviourchange,andsome
participantssuggestedthatpositiveattitudestowardsbeingenvironmentally-friendlyhavebecome
morewidespreadinrecentyears.Somereferredtotheimportanceofeveryonedoingtheirbitforthe
environmentandtheresultingpositivefeeling:
Itwouldbenicetothink[that]myhouseisreallyefficientand[that]Ivedone
everythingIcandoformyhousetobeasefficientaspossible.Thatwouldbeanice
feeling.(Female,London,withoutchildren)
Ithinkitmakespeoplefeelgoodiftheycandoit.(Male,London,withchildren)
Severaltookprideindoingtheirrecyclingandreducingtheirwasteforexample,bytryingtobuy
productswithlesspackaging.Environmentalfactorssometimesplayedapartintheirreasonsforthis,
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buttheywerealsostronglymotivatedbyageneraldislikeofwasteandpollution,andasenseof
goodhousekeeping.
Ithinkthewholeideaofcuttingdownonfuelemissionsisgood,regardless,because
ofthepollution.(Female,London,withoutchildren)
Imquitedisciplined.Idonthaveallthelightsonandeverythingpluggedonwhen
Imnothere,sofromthatsenseImakeaneffort[Its]goodpracticehousekeeping
andalsobecauseitsawaste,itsawasteofresources,isntit?Itsjustgood
discipline.Ithoughteveryonedidthat.(Female,London,withoutchildren)
Anotherenvironmentalissuethatemerged,althoughlessregularlythanrecycling,andonlybythe
femalegroups,wastheuseofnon-plasticshoppingbags.Thisbehaviourisdifferenttorecyclingin
thatitisnotmandatedbyregulationandispurelyvoluntary.Itwasinteresting,therefore,thatsome
participantstalkedaboutengaginginthisbehavioureventhoughtheyfounditahasslehavingto
remembertotakeoutandusereusablebags.Therewerealsosomepositivediscussionsaboutusing
non-plasticbagsrelatingtobeingabletochoosegood-lookingorspecificdesigneralternatives:
Peopleareactively,sortof,signingupforitItsbeenquiteaquickculturalchange.(Female,York,withchildren)
Theimpactofparenthood
Beingaparentappearedtoplayamajorpartinparticipantsawarenessofclimatechangeandtheir
engagementinlower-carbonbehaviours.Severaldiscussedhowtheirawarenesshadbeenraised
becauseofwhattheirchildrenhadlearnedatschool.Participantschildrenoftenremindedthemto
turnthingsoff,suchaslightsandtapsinordertosaveelectricityandwater,andthisoftenplayedan
importantroleinraisingtheirawareness:
Mychildrenwillcomealongandturnthetelevisionofffrombeingonstandby,andall
thatkindofstuff,becauseitsdrummedintothem.Thatstheirage:theyretaughtitat
school,whereaswewerent.(Female,London,withchildren)
MydaughtersanEco-leaderatschoolandshesquiteintoitSaveourplanet.If
IvegotthebathrunningshellsayMum,thatsenoughwaterinthere,andIm,like,
What?.Shesquiteupwithit.(Female,London,withchildren)
Inothersituations,parentstookontheroleofremindingtheirchildrentobemoreenergyaware.
Ingeneral,theparentsappearedtobethemostengagedinlower-carbonbehavioursofallthe
participants,throughactivitiessuchasturningofflights,notleavingtelevisionsonstandby,andnot
over-fillingkettles.However,thisawarenessmayberelatedtotheextracostsinvolvedwithhaving
children:
Immoreconsciousnow.Laptopsmineareterribleforjustleavinglaptopsplugged
in.Imalwaysswitchingthemoff,PlayStationsandstuff.Wevejusthadamassive
reductionfromourenergysuppliersoImnotreallythatbotheredanymore.(Female,
York,withchildren)
Havingchildrenwasalsoanimportantfactorinhowtheparticipantsthoughtaboutthefuture,and
theconsequencesofactionstakentoday:
Itseco-friendlyisntit?Thinkingaboutourchildrenyouknow.(Female,York,with
children)
Doyouwanttogogreenanddoyourbittomakeyourchildrenproudofyou?Im
sureyoudo.(Female,London,withchildren)
Obviously,Ithinkaboutmygrandchildreninyearstocome.Idontwantthemsuffering,andthingslikethat.(Female,London,withchildren)
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ThischaptersetsoutNowPeoplesattitudestowardsspecificlower-carbonconsumerchoices.We
identifythefactorsthattheytakeintoaccountwhenmakingconsumerchoicesincertainareas,and
thefactorsthatmayworktoinhibitorencouragegreateruptakeofthedesiredlower-carbonoption.
First,welookatthefindingsfromworkshopactivitiescentredonsixspecificlower-carbonconsumer
choices:
Energymonitors
Heatingcontrols
Solarpanels
Energy-efficientvehicles
UKholidays
Holidaytravelbytrain.
Thefirstthreechoices(energymonitors,heatingcontrolsandsolarpanels)wereexploredthrougha
standardisedworkshopformat.Theparticipantsweredividedintogroups,eachofwhichwasallocated
oneofthethreeproductstodiscuss,andwasgivenafactsheetaboutthatproduct.Thegroupswere
askedtodesignanadvertisementfortheirproductthatwouldappealtothem,andtoproposethe
person,organisationorotherbodybestplacedtosellit.Eachgrouppresentedtheiradvertisement,
andthepresentationwasthenfollowedbyawhole-groupdiscussion.Thefindingsarepresented
belowintermsofinhibitingfactors,encouragingfactorsandmarketingideas.
Forthefollowingtwochoices(energy-efficientvehiclesandUKholidays)participantsweregiven
stimulusmaterialstoprovokemoregeneraldiscussionaroundthechoicestheymakeandreasonsfor
thosechoices.Forthefinalchoice(holidaytravelbytrain),discussionflowedonnaturallyfromthe
previousconversationaboutUKholidays.
Afterexaminingthesesixspecificconsumerchoices,welookatthefeedbackfromobservedhome
energyassessmentsandin-depthinterviews,carriedoutinthehomesof10individuals.
Energymonitors
Energymonitorsaredevicesthatshowhowmuchelectricityisbeingusedinthehomeatanyone
particularmoment.
Inhibitingfactors
Asignificantminorityoftheparticipantswerenotinterestedintheenergymonitorbecausethey
believeditwouldbeannoyingandwouldstopthemrelaxing.Otherssaidtheproductwasboring
becausetheywouldbethinkingaboutthemoneytheywasspendingallthetime,andtheywerenotinterestedinthesmallamountsofmoneythattheyperceiveditmightsavethem.Someparticipants
expressedconcernsthatthemonitorcouldbedetrimentaltothelivesofolderpeoplebyencouraging
themtoturnofftheirelectricitytoomuch.
Talkaboutwindyouup,thoughyoudsitindoorsgoing:Turnitdown,turnthat
lightoff:itsjustcostus50p!ItwouldbeanightmareThatwouldreallyannoyme,
knowinghowmuchitscostingmeeveryday.(Female,London,withoutchildren)
Theresnothingjoyousorhappyitsjustgoingtomakeyouwatchyourmoney
disappear,andthenyoullgettoapointandyoullhaveinyourmindhowmuchyou
arepreparedtospendinamonthandyoullbesoboring.(Female,London,without
children)
Itsveryboring,whateveritis.Imnotattractedtoit.Icanteatit.Icantwearit
whywouldIwantit?...Ifthatwasboughtasapresentforme,Idbedisappointed.
(Female,London,withchildren)
3.Perceptionsofspecificlower-carbonchoices
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Ijustdontseethebenefitofit,tobehonest.Iwouldntworrythatmuchhowmucha
lightbulbwascostingmebecauseIwouldntbotherlivinginthehouse,then,ifthat
wasthecase.(Male,York,withoutchildren)
Twomaleparticipantsindifferentworkshopscomparedtheenergymonitortothemilespergallon
(mpg)gaugeincars.Theyexplainedhowseeingthepetrolthattheywereusingwasannoyingbecauseitdidhaveaneffectonthewaythattheydrove.Sowhiletheywerenotnecessarilypositive
abouttheenergymonitor,theywereacknowledgingthatbeingpresentedwiththiskindof
informationmightaffecttheirbehaviour:
ItsliketheMPGthinginyourcar,isntit?Onceyourealise:OhmyGod!Itdoes
work,doesntit,whenyouseethemonitors.(Male,Bristol,withchildren)
NotagoodideabecauseitstakingBMWswayofmilespergallonthing.Asyoure
drivingalong,itsunderneathyourfuel,soyoudriveaccordinglyandyourelikeOh
God,no.(Male,York,withoutchildren)
Encouragingfactors
Fewoftheparticipantsdisplayedthekindofnegativityexpressedaboverather,mainly,theyreceiveditpositivelybecauseofthemoneytheysawitcouldsavethem.Theyoftenrelatedthis
motivationtothecreditcrunch,ortohighenergypricesandbills.Severalsawitspotentialtohelp
themwiththeircurrenteffortstoreduceenergyaroundthehouse:
Itdependshowmuchitiscostingwhenyoubreakitdown.Wepayourbillsmonthly,
andtheyregoingthroughtheroofbutthen,ifyoubrokeitdownanditreallywas
costingyoualotforanhourtohaveallthoseappliances,thenyeah,Iwouldbuyit.
(Female,London,withchildren)
Ifyoureinthatmindsetofactuallywantingtosavearoundthehome,itsreally
good...Itwouldprobablysellitselfinthisdayandage.(Female,York,withchildren)
Marketingideas
Theadvertisementsfortheenergymonitorprimarilyemphasisedthatitwaslowcostandthatitcould
easilysaveyoumoney,withsomereferringtotheveryquickresultingpay-backtime.Thebenefitto
theenvironmentwasmentionedbytwoofthegroups,butonlyasaminorpointalongsidethepriority
ofsavingmoney.
Differentgroupscommunicatedthebenefitsofsavingmoneyindifferentways.Someusedimagesof
themonitoratworkwithinahomesettingforexample,measuringtheenergyuseofappliancesas
theywereswitchedonandoff,andrelatingthisvisuallytothemoneythatcouldbesavedbyusing
themonitor.Oneattemptedtoincreasetheappealofsavingmoneybyemphasisingthepleasurethat
couldbegainedbyspendingthismoneyelsewhere:
Youvegotthepoundsclickinginthecorneraswell,soyoucanactuallyseeadirectcorrelationbetweenlightsgoingonandhowmuchthatscosting.(Male,Bristol,with
children)
Wethinkitsminimumcostformaximumpleasure.Withoutthemonitorandthe
electricityandthecostofyourhometoyourightnow,yournextholidaycouldbein
therainonacampsite.Shouldyoubuythis,for29.95,thesavingyoumakeoverthe
yearyoucantakeyourmostfavouritemantoPariswithyou,abitofchampers,abit
ofpleasure.InsteadofaholidayinPontefract,youcouldholidayinParis.(Female,
York,withchildren)
Twogroupsdescribedscenesdrawingonaspectsofculturethatareassociatedwithmoneysaving
namely,austerityinthepost-war1950s,andDavidDickinson,celebritypresenterofanantique-dealing
televisionshow.Theseadvertisementsdrewonhumourandironytoincreasetheappealoftheproduct.
Therewasthatkindofmentalitythen,anyway,wasntthere?(Male,York,without
children)
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Backinthepost-war,andduringthewar,everyonewasgearedtowardsconserving
energyandputtingalimitontheirconsumptionwhattheywereusingwithrations,
sotherewasalltheselittleexamplesofhowyoucansaveonthis,andifyousavethis
amountandthat,anddothis,thenthatwouldbecosteffective.(London,female,
withoutchildren)
Othergroupsusedcelebritiesintheiradvertisementstoo.Inone,awell-knowncelebritycouple,
televisionpresentersTessDalyandVernonKay,wereusedtogainmainstreamappealfortheproduct.
Thecouplesimageofbeingfamilycentredanddowntoearthmayalsohavebeenimportant:
Theyreverymainstream,andmostpeoplewouldhaveheardofthem.(Female,York,
withchildren)
Anotheradvertisementusedwell-knownfigureBillOddiebecauseofhisassociationwiththe
environment.
Itwasrepeatedlysuggestedthatenergycompaniesorgovernmentenergydepartmentsshouldsellthe
product.However,severalparticipantssuggestedthattherewasalackoftrusttowardsthesetypesof
organisations.Thepointwasalsoraisedthatanenergycompanysellingaproductthatwouldreduceitscustomersenergyusewasaconfusingmessage:
Well,wedontknowifyoudtrustanenergycompanygivingittoyou,because
theyredoingthemselvesoutofmoneythatyouresavingThelikesofBTgiveyou
theequipment[sothatyou]use[theirservice]more,dontthey,soitsalmostthe
opposite.Wouldyoutrustanenergycompanygivingittoyou?(Male,Bristol,with
children)
Severalofthegroupssuggestedthattheproductcouldbegivenawaywhenpurchasingahigher-
valueproduct.
Heatingcontrols
Heatingcontrolsallowyoutochoosewhentheheatingison,howwarmitis,andwhereyouwantthe
warmthinyourhouse.Theywillalsomakesurethattheboilerisonlyturnedonwhenitneedstobe.
Inhibitingfactors
Theoverridingreactiontothisproductwasageneralconfusionaboutwhatitdid.Inparticular,the
participantsdidnotseemanybenefitstothesmallincreaseinfunctionalitythatitofferedaboveand
beyondtheheatingcontrolstheyalreadyhad,suchasroomthermostatsandthermostaticradiator
valves.Overall,thisconfusiontranslatedintoageneraldisinterestintheproductandnodesireto
purchaseone.However,thismayhavebeenpartlyaresultofwhatinformationwaspresentedtothe
participantsintheworkshops.
Itsreinventingthewheel,isntit?(Female,London,withchildren)
Encouragingfactors
Wheretheparticipantswerepositiveabouttheproduct,thisrelatedtoitsabilitytosavethemmoney
althoughtheyquestionedhowmuchitwouldsaveaboveandbeyondtheirexistingstandard
heatingcontrols.Theonegroupthatwasunusualinbeingovertlypositiveabouttheproduct
emphasisedhowitwaseasytoinstallandalsothatitwasmodernandagimmick:
Wealsothinkitsnewandmodern,andanewapproach,[and]wethinkpeopleare
intonewthingsratherthanold-fashionedthings.Thatswhatwethoughtwasthebest
thingaboutitPeoplelikegettingagimmick.(Female,Bristol,withoutchildren)
Marketingideas
Ingeneral,theparticipantsdidnotengagewellwiththeheatingcontrol.Theywereunsureofthe
benefitstheproductofferedandso,correspondingly,theadvertisementstheycreatedwerenotvery
developed.Ingeneral,theyresortedtorecitingtheinformationthathadbeengiventothem,
displayingimagesofthecontrolsbeinginstalled,andexplainingthevariousfeaturesitcomprised.
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Theonegroupthatwasmostpositiveabouttheproductemphasisedprimarilythepotentialitoffered
tosavemoney,butalsoemphasisedtheenvironmentalbenefits:
Wethinkthatsquiteapositiveandgreenthingyourenotwastingheat,yourenot
wastingenergy,sothatwilldothegreenside.Wethinkitwillactuallyappealto
everybody,becauseeverybodywantstosavemoneyontheirheatingbillsandsometimes[thinks]Idontknowhowtochangemyheating.(Female,Bristol,with
children)
Oneothergroupdevisedanadvertisementwithastrongmessage,focusingpurelyonthefinancial
benefitsoftheproduct.Itsaimwastoemphasisethewaythatheatinginthehomewasdirectlylinked
tospendingmoney.Thiswasachievedbydepictingahousewithnoheatingcontrol,withpoundsigns
escapingfromthepropertylikeheat,andahousewithheatingcontrolswiththepoundsignsstaying
intheproperty.Tofurtheremphasisethisbenefit,andtoplaytoconcernsthattheaudiencemayhave
aboutthecostsofheating,theimageswereaccompaniedbythesloganYourcostscontrollingyou??
Keepcontrolofyourcosts!!.
LikethegroupthatusedTessDalyandVernonKaytoselltheenergymonitor,onegroupuseda
celebritycouple,LouiseandJamieRedknapp,toselltheheatingcontrol.Thegroupindicatedthatthis
wastodrawonthecouplesimageasbeingdowntoearthandfamilyoriented.Anothergroupused
televisionpresenterMichaelParkinson,becausetheybelievedhewasperceivedastrustworthy.
Solarpanels
Solarpanelisacommontermforphotovoltaicmodule,whichcanbeusedinalargerphotovoltaic
systemtocreateelectricity.Therearetwomainforms:solarelectricityandsolarhotwaterpanels.Itis
possibleforahouseholdtoruncompletelyoffphotovoltaicelectricityfromtheuseofsolarpanels,yet
thisisunlikelyinmostcases.
Inhibitingfactors
Therewerefrequentdiscussionsamongparticipantsaboutthepooraestheticvaluesofthesolarpanelmodel,andofsolarpanelsmoregenerally.Severalparticipantswereunconvincedaboutthemodels
claimtofitflushontotheroof:
Butthatswhatyourroofwouldlooklike?Ijustdontthinkforanaestheticpointof
viewitwouldlookverypleasant.Imean,Ivehadacompletelybrandnewroof,andI
wouldntwantthatstuckonmyhouse.(Bristol,Male,withchildren)
Ihaveafriendthathasgotsolarpanelstheylookhideousonherroof,though.
(Female,London,withchildren)
However,whileimportant,generallythiswasnotconsideredaverysignificantfactor,andother
participantswereambivalentaboutwhattheirrooflookedlike.
Theyreactuallynotasunsightlyastheyusedtobe.Yearsagoyouusedtoseethemrandomlyonoddhousesinthecountryside,didntyoutheyusedtobequitebig
things.Actuallytheyrenotthatbad,arethey?(Female,York,withchildren)
Amainfactorthatinhibitedparticipantsfromwantingtobuytheproductwasagenerallackof
knowledgeaboutsolarpanels.Theyweregivenafactsheetaboutmodelsolarpanels,butallgroups
indicatedthattheyneededmoreinformation.Questionswereaskedaboutwhethertherewasenough
sunshineintheUKforthepanelstoworkwell.
Idontknowhowefficientitisinthiscountry.(Female,London,withoutchildren)
Howmuchrealsundoyouneedtopowerthese?IdontknowthatIwouldnt
know.(Female,London,withchildren)
Manywantedtoknowthepaybacktimeandhowmuchofahouseholdsenergytheproductwould
actuallyproduce.Somefairlyextravagantestimatesweremadeaboutthisfigure,withthe
presumptionbeingthatthepanelcouldproducefarmoreelectricitythantheyactuallycan.
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Themaindisincentivetobuyingthepanelwasthehighupfrontcost.Intheobservations,where
participantshadaccesstomoredetailedinformationaboutsolarpanelsthaninthegroups,nonesaw
thisasarealisticoption,duetothelowlevelsofenergyoutputandcorrespondinglylongpayback
times.Forsomeworkshopparticipants,thefactthattheydidnotplantoliveintheircurrenthomes
foralongperiodoftimewasacontributingfactortotheirresponse.Severalcommentedthatdueto
thehighcosts,installingsolarpanelswasmoreaboutdoingyourbitthanarealisticpurchaseoption:
Itsaveryexpensiveoutlay,anditsnotourforeverhouse.(Female,London,
withoutchildren)
ItsalotofmoneytonotsaveyoumuchThatsmoreaboutdoingyourbit,isntit?
(Female,London,withchildren)
Wholivesinapropertyfor20yearsnow?Thatsthedownside,isntit?(Male,York,
withoutchildren)
Obviouslyweallwanttosavemoney,buttohavetospendout10,000for,say,35a
year,unlessyoureintendingtostayinyourpropertywhoknowswhatsgoingto
happen?SoIdontwanttolookthatfarahead.(Female,London,withoutchildren)
Encouragingfactors
Therewasasignificantpotentialforencouragingtheuptakeofsolarpanelsbythetargetgroup.In
general,theparticipantswerepositiveaboutthepurchase,andmanywouldhavebeeninterestedin
buyingthisproducthaditcostless.
SeveralsuggestedwaysinwhichtheGovernmentcouldregulatetomakesolarpanelsmoreaccessible:
acommonsuggestionwasinstallingthemonallnewbuildingsorcouncilhouses.Anotherwasa0per
centloanforthecostoftheproduct,payablebackoverfiveyears.AnotherwasfortheGovernment
tooffsetthecostofinstallingoneagainstonesstampduty:
IwilldowhatIcantodomypartinfightingclimatechange.I,likemostpeople,
[am]limitedfinancially[asto]whatIcando.Iwouldlovetheideaofhavingsolarpanels,forexample,butthecostisentirelyprohibitive.(Male,London,without
children)
Ithinkitsreallyappealingitsjustthecostreallythatputmeoff.Idhavethat
tomorrowifitwasntsoexpensive.(Female,York,withchildren)
Ivealwaysthoughtthattheroofissuchawastedspace,andwhattheyshould
probablydoissticktheseonanewbuildandsay,Right,everyoneshousepricesare
nineor10grandmore,andyoudautomaticallyhavethem.Theresnoreasonwhyno
roofshouldhavethoseatall.(Male,Bristol,withchildren)
Acommonthemethatemergedwasthathavingasolarpanelenabledtheusertobeself-sufficient
andthereforeinsulatedfromchangingorrisingenergyprices.Itwasforthisreasonthattwooftheparticipantshadpreviouslyconsideredbuyingsolarpanels,eventhoughtheydisplayedhighlevelsof
cynicismaboutthemotivationsofgovernmentaroundactiononclimatechange:
Itsalsobecauseitmakesyouself-sufficient.Yourenotnecessarilyatthemercyof
anyothercompaniesthatchargeyoutheirrates.Ifyouhaveyourownsolarenergy,or
somethingalongthoselines,inyourhomethenyourenothavingtobendoverto
whatevercompanyandpaywhateverbillswhentheydecidetohiketheirpricesup
Soitdoesmakealotmoresensenow.(Female,London,withchildren)
Marketingideas
Theenvironmentalbenefitsfiguredmorestronglyintheadvertisementsforthesolarpanelthanin
thosefortheenergymonitor.However,forsomethiswasrelatedtoaperceptionofsolarpanelsasaproductthatwouldonlybepurchasedbyenvironmentallyinclinedpeople.
Inothercasestheenvironmentalbenefitwasmentionedasasecondaryorminorbenefit,alongside
otherreasonsforbuyingtheproduct.Theseincludedbeingabletosavemoney,beingabletoinsulate
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ippr| ConsumerPower: Howthepublicthinkslower-carbonbehaviourcouldbemademainstream27
oneselffromfluctuatingenergyprices,andaddingvaluetoonesproperty.Oneoftheadvertisements
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