CLIMATECHANGENORTHWEST.CO.UK: Working Across Europe / Changing Behaviour

Changing Behaviour

Salford University, Greater Manchester

PROJECT TEAM & PARTNERS

Project Co-ordinator:

Eva Heiskanen, National Consumer Research Centre, Finland

Greater Manchester

Manchester Knowledge Capital
Sustainable Urban and Regional Futures (SURF) Salford University

Wider EU

Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands,
Institute for Applied Ecology (Germany),
Central European University (Hungary),
Stockholm environment Institute (Estonia),
UAB Cowi Baltic (Lithuania)
Enespa Ltd (Finland)
GreenDependant (Hungary)
Ekodoma Ltd (Latvia),
VZ NRW Germany
Centre for Renewable Energy Sources (Greece)

COSTS - €2,500,000

Funding
EU - 75%
Manchester Knowledge Capital Match - 25% from NWDA

Timescale - 3years (Jan 08 - Dec 2010)

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

Changing Behaviour is a project that aims to support change in energy use and energy services. We do so by applying social research on technological change to practical use. Our focus is on the interaction between energy experts and energy users: How can these different groups learn to understand each other better?

Changing Behaviour is an action research project. Researchers and practitioners work together to develop, test and refine tools for improved interaction that are sensitive to context, timing and the needs of different users and stakeholders.

This project aims to support the shift toward end-user services in European energy policy. It will:

develop a sophisticated but practical model of end-user behaviour and stakeholder interaction
integrate knowledge of context (e.g., national culture and institutions), timing and actors into energy demand management practice
pilot the transfer of context-tailored demand side programmes from one European country to another
create a toolkit for practitioners to manage the social and technical change involved in demand management programmes (i.e., energy efficiency and renewable-based end-user generation).

PROJECT TARGETS & LEGISLATION

The EU 20:20:20 vision, which calls for a 20% increase in energy efficient by 2020 adds weight to the project aims.

The UK Climate Change and Energy Acts of 2008 strengthen the case for progressing behavioural change initiatives in Greater Manchester.

CHALLENGES FACED

Trans-national
No major challenges

Greater Manchester
Securing funding to implement a pilot behavioural change project. £20k has now been secured from the Northwest Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (NWIEP) via the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA). The £50k fund is explicitly for innovative projects, where learning can be cascaded throughout Greater Manchester and Wider Northwest.

INNOVATIVE PRACTICE

1) The project brings together both researchers and practitioners in a true action-research project to increase the theoretical robustness of energy programmes AND to increase the contextual understanding of research activty.

2) The project examines and highlights the critical role of 'intermediary organisations' as key actors between policy/strategy/energy providers and energy end users.

LESSONS LEARNT & APPLICABILITY IN OTHER SITUATIONS

According to the early lessons learnt:

There are lots of 'cases' and best practice examples, but

little attention to success & failure
little attention to what works where

This project involves:

Inventory of » 100 programmes/projects
In-depth analysis of factors influencing success in 24 cases from different parts of Europe resulting in the development of a conceptual model
Mapping & engaging intermediaries in 4 parts of Europe:
• interviews with 25 energy intermediaries
• workshops for feedback on the model
Use of the model in pilot projects & feedback
To develop a toolkit for practitioners & feedback

RELEVANT INFORMATION

A wealth of info is located at:
http://www.energychange.info/

CONTACT DETAILS

Simon Robinson
Programme Manager, Manchester is my Planet, Manchester: Knowledge Capital
Tel: 0161 237 4639
E-mail: simon.robinson@manchesterknowledge.com