Understanding the human dimensions of a sustainable energy transition

Global climate change threatens the health, economic prospects, and basic food and water sources of people. A wide range of changes in household energy behaviour is needed to realise a sustainable energy transition. We propose a general framework to understand and encourage sustainable energy behavi...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Linda eSteg, Goda ePerlaviciute, Ellen evan der Werff
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2015-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00805/full
id doaj-e0634b296e0f4e34b03ef0f4b6c678ce
record_format Article
spelling doaj-e0634b296e0f4e34b03ef0f4b6c678ce2020-11-24T22:34:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782015-06-01610.3389/fpsyg.2015.00805144983Understanding the human dimensions of a sustainable energy transitionLinda eSteg0Goda ePerlaviciute1Ellen evan der Werff2University of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social SciencesUniversity of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social SciencesUniversity of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social SciencesGlobal climate change threatens the health, economic prospects, and basic food and water sources of people. A wide range of changes in household energy behaviour is needed to realise a sustainable energy transition. We propose a general framework to understand and encourage sustainable energy behaviours, comprising four key issues. First, we need to identify which behaviours need to be changed. A sustainable energy transition involves changes in a wide range of energy behaviours, including the adoption of sustainable energy sources and energy-efficient technology, investments in energy efficiency measures in buildings, and changes in direct and indirect energy use behaviour. Second, we need to understand which factors underlie these different types of sustainable energy behaviours. We discuss three main factors that influence sustainable energy behaviours: knowledge, motivations, and contextual factors. Third, we need to test the effects of interventions aimed to promote sustainable energy behaviours. Interventions can be aimed at changing the actual costs and benefits of behaviour, or at changing people’s perceptions and evaluations of different costs and benefits of behavioural options. Fourth, it is important to understand which factors affect the acceptability of energy policies and energy systems changes. We discuss important findings from psychological studies on these four topics, and propose a research agenda to further explore these topics. We emphasise the need of an integrated approach in studying the human dimensions of a sustainable energy transition that increases our understanding of which general factors affect a wide range of energy behaviours as well as the acceptability of different energy policies and energy system changes.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00805/fullbehaviourInterventionsValuesAcceptabilitySustainable energy transition
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Linda eSteg
Goda ePerlaviciute
Ellen evan der Werff
spellingShingle Linda eSteg
Goda ePerlaviciute
Ellen evan der Werff
Understanding the human dimensions of a sustainable energy transition
Frontiers in Psychology
behaviour
Interventions
Values
Acceptability
Sustainable energy transition
author_facet Linda eSteg
Goda ePerlaviciute
Ellen evan der Werff
author_sort Linda eSteg
title Understanding the human dimensions of a sustainable energy transition
title_short Understanding the human dimensions of a sustainable energy transition
title_full Understanding the human dimensions of a sustainable energy transition
title_fullStr Understanding the human dimensions of a sustainable energy transition
title_full_unstemmed Understanding the human dimensions of a sustainable energy transition
title_sort understanding the human dimensions of a sustainable energy transition
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
series Frontiers in Psychology
issn 1664-1078
publishDate 2015-06-01
description Global climate change threatens the health, economic prospects, and basic food and water sources of people. A wide range of changes in household energy behaviour is needed to realise a sustainable energy transition. We propose a general framework to understand and encourage sustainable energy behaviours, comprising four key issues. First, we need to identify which behaviours need to be changed. A sustainable energy transition involves changes in a wide range of energy behaviours, including the adoption of sustainable energy sources and energy-efficient technology, investments in energy efficiency measures in buildings, and changes in direct and indirect energy use behaviour. Second, we need to understand which factors underlie these different types of sustainable energy behaviours. We discuss three main factors that influence sustainable energy behaviours: knowledge, motivations, and contextual factors. Third, we need to test the effects of interventions aimed to promote sustainable energy behaviours. Interventions can be aimed at changing the actual costs and benefits of behaviour, or at changing people’s perceptions and evaluations of different costs and benefits of behavioural options. Fourth, it is important to understand which factors affect the acceptability of energy policies and energy systems changes. We discuss important findings from psychological studies on these four topics, and propose a research agenda to further explore these topics. We emphasise the need of an integrated approach in studying the human dimensions of a sustainable energy transition that increases our understanding of which general factors affect a wide range of energy behaviours as well as the acceptability of different energy policies and energy system changes.
topic behaviour
Interventions
Values
Acceptability
Sustainable energy transition
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00805/full
work_keys_str_mv AT lindaesteg understandingthehumandimensionsofasustainableenergytransition
AT godaeperlaviciute understandingthehumandimensionsofasustainableenergytransition
AT ellenevanderwerff understandingthehumandimensionsofasustainableenergytransition
_version_ 1725727835345125376