Annex B
Summary of the Key findings of: "Making
the Abstract real: a cross cultural study of
public understanding of environmental change,
1993-95"
BACKGROUND
The empirical research was conducted in two
cities with broadly comparable socio-economic and demographic
characteristics: Nottingham in the East Midlands and Eindhoven
in the south of the Netherlands. The research was divided into
three parts:
(a) statistically representative quota samples
were drawn from matched neighbourhoods in the two cities; 250
face-to-face household interviews using the same questionnaire,
to measure levels of community and political involvement; levels
of pro-environmental behaviour in households; awareness of specific
global and local environmental issues; and individual preferences
for environmental policy options in response to three environmental
scenarios;
(b) four in-depth, single gender, discussion
groups drawn from volunteers in the quota samples. The two UK
and two NL groups were matched by age and socio-economic status.
Over five sessions each lasting 90 minutes, group members discussed
the following broad topics: "green consumerism"; "social
and technological change"; "the end of nature"
and "sustainable development";
(c) two stakeholder workshops were held,
one in each city, in which politicians, policy-makers, businesses,
NGOs and the media participated in discussion and evaluation of
the research findings.
MAIN FINDINGS
1. The survey results provided an early
indication that individuals lacked any coherent or detailed understanding
of environmental issues; that self-reported levels of pro-environmental
behaviour were not especially meaningful since they bore little
relation to actual household practices; and that the majority
of respondents in both cities felt unable or unwilling to take
personal responsibility for addressing environmental problems.
Climate change at this time (1993) was ranked lowest of a suite
of eight environmental problems, and regarded as a problem likely
to affect future generations but not the present generation.
2. The qualitative research revealed a much
more nuanced picture of the barriers and opportunities for pro-environmental
behaviour change, and revealed interesting differences between
men and women, and between the two countries. Taking personal
responsibility to reduce environmental impacts of everyday behaviour
emerges as the outcomes of four inter-related components:
(a) A moral/normative component which
relates both to altruistic and social demands of being "a
good person". This was shown to be a more powerful sentiment
in Eindhoven than in Nottingham.
(b) An economic component which concerns
how much choice (money/time) individuals consider they have to
change their practices.
(c) A knowledge component in terms
of wanting to question the basis of expert and policy demands
for change; and clear demonstration that changes in behaviour
are actually effective in achieving the desired environmental
goals.
(d) An equity component in which people
wanted to know that the new environmental responsibilities being
sought were shared equally across all sectors of society, including
public and private sector organisations. The mass media emerged
as a important player here in terms of consistently framing government
intentions in a negative rather than a positive way. This was
also much more pronounced in Nottingham than Eindhoven.
3. The study revealed scepticism in both
cities about mass advertising or "exhortatory" campaigns.
Rather organisations requiring change were expected to demonstrate
their own commitments by both creating better infrastructure to
support pro-environmental behaviour changes, and making changes
in their own practices. This demand for organisations to "walk-the-talk"
highlighted was appeared to be a major cultural difference between
citizens in the two cities. In Nottingham at this time (1993-94)
there was a sense of alienation and deep mistrust about the sincerity
of government's environmental and social commitments. By contrast,
in Eindhoven, the research revealed a much stronger and efficacious
"social contract" between Dutch citizens and the state.
Although not immune for criticism, citizens felt the combination
of regulatory, fiscal and planning measures then in play were
being implemented for the common good. In return, Dutch citizens
had agreed to act in more environmentally responsible ways.
Global Action Plan
December 2006
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