Definition
Encouraging individuals to adopt energy-efficient and other sustainable ways of living has predominantly focused on trying to change individual behavior. Yet this approach has faced criticism from those seeking a more meaningful engagement process that communicates a “bigger than self” responsibility to act. This chapter contributes to this discussion by suggesting the use of social networks and role of community-based organizations within such networks, to encourage individuals to collectively move to low-carbon living. Drawing on the work of one such organization, Cambridge Carbon Footprint in the UK, it considers more broadly the ability of these “trusted messengers” in improving access to procedural knowledge (i.e., instructions on what to do) but also normative and impact knowledge (respectively, an individual’s beliefs about the consequences of their actions and an understanding of the behaviors of others). Approaching the climate challenge through sustained community...
References
Akerlof, G., & Shiller, R. (2009). Animal spirits: How human psychology drives the economy, and why it matters for global capitalism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Blake, J. (1999). Overcoming the `value-action gap’ in environmental policy: Tensions between national policy and local experience. Local Environment, 4(3), 257–278.
Bouman, T., & Steg, L. (2019). Motivating society-wide pro-environmental change. One. Earth, 1(1), 27–30.
Bouman, T., Verschoor, M., Albers, C., Bohm, G., Fisher, S., Poortinga, W., Whitmarsh, L., & Steg, L. (2020). When worry about climate change leads to climate action: How values, worry and personal responsibility relate to various climate actions. Global Environmental Change, 62, 102061.
Brick, C., Bosshard, A., & Whitmarsh, L. (2021). Motivation and climate change: A review. Current Opinion in Psychology, 42, 82–77.
Cambridge Carbon Footprint. (2019). Annual Report https://cambridgecarbonfootprint.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2019-Annual-Report_compressed.pdf
Cambridge Carbon Footprint. (2021). https://cambridgecarbonfootprint.org/
COIN. (2021). Climate outreach and information network https://doit.life/organisation/707289
Constanzo, M., Archer, D., Aronson, E., & Pettigrew, T. (1986). Energy conservation and behaviour: The difficult path from information to action. American Psychologist, 41, 521–528.
Cooke, A., Fielding, K. S., & Louis, W. (2016). Environmentally active people: The role of autonomy, relatedness, competence and self-determined motivation. Environmental Education Research, 22(5), 631–657.
Corner, A., Markowitz, E., & Pidgeon, N. (2014). Public engagement with climate change: The role of human values. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 5(3), 411–422.
Crompton, T. (2010). Common cause: The case for working with our cultural values. Oxford: World Wildlife Fund.
DEFRA. (2011). A framework for pro-environmental behaviours. London: The Stationary Office.
Granovetters, M. (1973). The strength of weak ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), 1360–1380.
Granovetters, M. (1983). The strength of weak ties revisited. Sociological Theory, 1, 201–233.
Halpern, D. (2010). The hidden wealth of nations. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Howarth, C., & Parsons, L. (2021). Assembling a coalition of climate change narratives on UK climate action: A focus on the city, countryside, community and home. Climatic Change, 164, 8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-021-02959-8.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2021). Climate change 2021: the physical science basis.
Jackson, T. (2005). Motivating sustainable consumption: A review of evidence on consumer behaviour and behavioural change. London: Policy Studies Institute. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report.pdf.
Keys, N., Thomsen, D., & Smith, T. (2013). Adaptive capacity and climate change: The role of community opinion leaders. The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability, 21(4), 432–450.
List, J. (2004). Neoclassical theory versus prospect theory: Evidence from the market place. Econometrica, 72, 615–625.
Marechal, K. (2010). Not irrational but habitual: The importance of `behavioural lock-in’ in energy consumption. Ecological Economics, 69, 1104–1114.
McNamara, K., & Buggy, L. (2016). Community-based climate change adaptation: A review of academic literature. The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability, 22(4), 443–460.
Moser, S., & Kleinhuckelkotten. (2018). Good intents, but low impacts: Diverging importance of motivational and socioeconomic determinants explaining pro-environmental behaviour, energy use and carbon footprint. Environment and Behaviour, 50, 626–656.
Popovski, V. (2019). The implementation of the Paris agreement on climate change. Abingdon: Routledge.
Putman. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon & Schuster Audio.
Quimby, C., & Angelique, H. (2011). Identifying barriers and catalysts to fostering pro-environmental behaviour: Opportunities and challenges for community psychology. American Journal Community Psychology, 47, 388–396.
Randall, R. (2011). Is it time to stop talking about behaviour change? Conference proceedings `Future climate change’. London: The Institute of Mechanical Engineering.
Rees, W. (2010). What’s blocking sustainability? Human nature, cognition, and denial. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 6(2), 13–25.
Shove, E. (2010). Beyond the ABC: Climate change policy and theories of social change. Environment and Planning A, 42, 1273–1285.
Shultz, P. (1999). Changing behaviour with normative feedback interventions: A field experiment in curbside recycling. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 21(1), 25–36.
Sloot, D., & Steg, L. (2018). Can community energy initiatives motivate sustainable energy behaviours? The role of initiative involvement and personal pro-environmental motivation. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 57, 99–106.
Smith, S., Searle, B., & Cook, N. (2008). Rethinking the risks of home ownership. Journal of Social Policy, 38(1), 83–102.
Steg, L., Lindenberg, S., & Keizer, K. (2016). Intrinsic motivation, norms and environmental behaviour: The dynamics of overarching goals. International Review Environmental and Resource Economics, 9(1–2), 179–207.
Stock Whitaker, D. (1975). Some conditions for effective work with groups. British Journal of Social Work, 5(4), 423–439.
Stokes, R., Mandarano, L., & Dilworth, R. (2014). Community-based organisations in city environment policy regimes: Lessons from Philadelphia Local Environment. The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability, 19(4).
Thaler R & Sunstein C. (2008) Nudge: Improving decisions about health, health and happiness.
The Behavioural Insights Team. (2011). Behaviour change and energy use https://www.bi.team/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/behaviour-change-and-energy-use.pdf
The Behavioural Insights Team. (2020). The behavioural economy https://www.bi.team/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/The-Behavioural-Economy-1.pdf
The Behavioural Insights Team & WPI Economics. (2021). Applying behavioural insights to support flood resilience https://www.bi.team/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/210621-EA-Flood-resilience-report_final-draft.pdf
United Nations. (2015). Paris Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/english_paris_agreement.pdf
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (2008). “Twelve steps to help you kick the CO2 habit” United Nations Environment Programme http://www.unep.org/wed/2008/english/information_material/factsheet.asp
United Nations. (2021). Climate Action https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/net-zero-coalit
Uzzell D. (2010). Psychology and climate change: Collective solutions to a global problem Joint British Academy/British Psychological Society Annual Lecture
Vesely, S., Klockner, C., & Brick, C. (2020). Pro-environmental behaviour as a signal of cooperativeness: Evidence from a social dilemma experience. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 67, 101362.
Whitmarsh, L., O’Neill, S., & Lorenzoni, I. (2011). Climate change or social change? Debate within, amongst and beyond disciplines. Environment and Planning A, 43, 258–261.
Whitmarsh, L., Poortinga, W., & Capstick, S. (2021). Behaviour change to address climate change. Current Opinion in Psychology, 42, 76–81.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Morrison, N. (2022). Community Engagement and Climate Change: The Value of Social Networks and Community-Based Organizations. In: The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Futures. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51812-7_327-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51812-7_327-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-51812-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-51812-7
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Social SciencesReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences