Promote Behaviour Change

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How to take action

• Educate. Make sure all group members know that your organization is working on improving its environmental performance, and why.
• Set targets and share them. Whether you're trying to reduce the kilowatt hours on your electricity bill, reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from members' travel, or use only environmentally friendly products, let people know what you're trying to achieve, and how they can help. Report on progress regularly, and invite input.
• Be clear about actions and post reminders strategically. A list of how-to's in everyone's mailbox is helpful – but posting "Turn off the light" next to the light switch provides a reminder at just the moment it is needed. Both are needed for behaviour change.
• Model the behaviour you want to see. If organizational leaders don't car pool and shut off their computers, they send the message that the environmental initiative is not that important after all. Start by getting a commitment from your organizational leadership and then asking everyone else to follow suit.
• Make it fun. Preaching or shaming don't work – they can set your effort back. It's hard to undo the habits of a lifetime. Positive energy and humour will help the effort move forward, and make it safe for people to ask questions or raise concerns.
• Listen. There may be issues you didn't think of (perhaps lighting in a certain area is a safety issue for some, or car trips at a certain time of day a necessity) and haven't considered. Adapt your plan as you need to, or help individuals overcome barriers. Effective support and problem-solving are important to helping individuals make change.
• Bring in outside resources. Invite a local environmental or organic gardening group to speak to your group. Have a car-sharing network representative visit one of your meetings. Find out if any groups are running campaigns you can borrow and run internally. There's a lot to learn, and often a lot of local expertise to draw from – and it makes it easier on you if you don't have to be the sole educator.
• Celebrate. If you hit a milestone (10% reduction in the energy bill, or installation of new rain barrels), let everyone know and consider holding some sort of event to congratulate everyone. Positive reinforcement – plus building a sense of community – are important (and fun) ways to keep your message moving forward.

Why it makes a difference

• Research has found that although many people do care about the environment, they often believe that others don't care. This belief creates a barrier to taking action, because they feel like there's no hope of making a meaningful impact alone. Engaging groups in change, and showing results as you add up small efforts to big results, is one of the most powerful ways of helping shift our society towards meaningful environmental improvements.
• Your efforts to green your organization will be unlikely to last if you don't engage your members in behaviour change. Over time, entrenched behaviours resurface and people forget what was expected. If you promote new behaviours and create a new conservation norm, people tend to get in the habit of conservation.

For more information

• The Psychology of Climate Change Communication – a free publication available for download from the Centre for Research on Environmental Decisions – can be very helpful in determining how to message environmental efforts to your group and engage them in solutions.
• The basics of community-based social marketing (attitude and behaviour change) are detailed in Fostering Sustainable Behaviour – an online book by Douglas Mackenzie-Mohr available for download.