NIFK14029U Motivation and Pro-Environmental Behaviour - Managing Change

This course focuses on ways to motivate pro-environmental behaviour change.

Solving global challenges of climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity conservation, provision of clean water, food, etc. all goes back to individual and social behaviour related to the environment. The key questions addressed in this course are: How can citizens – as consumers, producers, and community members - be motivated towards environmentally-friendly behaviour? This may entail reductions in energy consumption or use of pesticides on one’s farmland, a greater use of bikes or trains instead of cars, increased recycling, picking up litter in the park, buying organic products, or participation in social/political movements. What are different strategies to achieve behavioural change, and what effects do they have, both intended and unintended?

The course builds on theories about motivation and behaviour, theories of change, real life cases and practical tools to initiate and sustain behavioural change among individuals, groups, and organisations.

The motivation and behaviour theories span studies of specific, individual behaviour (e.g. theory of planned behaviour), to macro level studies of how behaviour is shaped by societal factors like infrastructure, technology, economy, public discourse and media debate. Some theories anticipate that human behaviour is guided by economic, rational choice, while other extend rationality to also include, e.g. considerations of individual limitations as well as values, and to take into account broader societal interests. Other theories, in contrast, focus more on habit, emotions, direct experience, and how this is formative for behavioural change.

Empirical interventions will be showcased throughout the course, such as political and grassroots campaigns (often via different forms of media), community engagement, role models, schemes, and taxes.

Based on real-life cases from private and public organisations engaged at various levels (municipal, national, global) on environmental issues and management, students will learn to apply these theories in the real world and become better equipped as citizens and future policy makers and policy influencers, to formulate intervention strategies to achieve desired changes. Students are also expected to consider the implications of behavioural theories on policy practice. How do the different ways we look upon human behaviour, enable or limit what becomes possible in relation to environmental behavioural change?!