Green Living Publications
Bringing it Home examines the role of government in enabling people to live more sustainable lives, in the context of the policies the coalition government has inherited and the imperative action on climate change. The report looks at the contribution that behavioural economics, and behavioural sciences more broadly, can make to environmental policy design.
We asked the experts to suggest the ways in which politicians could improve their communication and inspire stronger public support for action on climate change. In two parts, From Hot Air to Happy Endings first examines what is wrong with current efforts and then proposes how to get it right.
Teaching Homes to be Green steps back from futuristic visions of smart homes to look at what technology can offer us in the homes that we live in today. For homes to significantly lower their environmental impacts we will need as many options as possible and smart features should be part of our approach. They may not transform our homes into the kind imagined by science fiction but behind the scenes they will be getting smarter and, as a result, greener.
In Autumn 2006 Green Alliance carried out a crucial engagement process for Defra, working with around 30 civil society organisations to prioritise actions that individuals could take to help the environment in their homes, purchasing and travel. These discussions also included an analysis of whether the existing policy makes it easier or more difficult for individuals to take these actions, and informed a range of policy recommendations to drive the mass uptake of these behaviours. The conclusions of these discussions formed a central part of Defra's new environmental behaviour strategy, driven by David Miliband.
In Grid 2.0: The next generation, Rebecca Willis argues that we will only succeed in tackling climate change and increasing energy security if we take a step back and think about the purpose of our energy system, and the role of individuals within it.
A Green Living Initiative puts forward an integrated package of measures, linking tax incentives to clear information, advice and branding, designed to engage households in taking action on three key environmental issues - energy, water and waste.
Carrots, Sticks and Sermons, the result of research undertaken for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, looks at how soft influencing strategies can be used in support of policy to help government achieve its environmental goals. It identifies current thinking and best practice in the art of public influencing and concludes by proposing seven steps for successful influencing which will help policy-makers to understand and influence public behaviour more systematically.
In Brand Green, Wendy Gordon gives an insight into the mind of the consumer and the implications for connecting green brands to everyday lives. She offers a compelling argument that brands hold a key to changing consumption patterns, and that marketing can play a powerful part in shaping choice to benefit the environment.
