Action required to raise sustainability awareness, says new report

A new review of five research projects to gauge public understanding of sustainability issues recommends government action to promote awareness and sustainable consumption.

The review, by researchers at the Policy Studies Institute at the University of Westminster, highlights a need to challenge the misplaced assumption that pro-environmental behaviour involves sacrifice, higher cost and/or poorer quality.

A Synthesis Review of Public Understanding Research Projects draws together the findings of five independent reports into public understanding of sustainable behaviours. The review was commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Other recommendations from the report are an “immediate need” for government to improve public transport infrastructure; information campaigns to “dispel negative associations” of environmentalism among some parts of the public; and more emphasis on stressing the cost savings and health benefits individuals can gain by making sustainable choices.

PSI research fellow Julia Tomei said: “Our review considered five independent reports into what the public understands of sustainable behaviours. The reports explored energy consumption in the home, finance and investment, leisure and tourism, food consumption and transport.

“What emerged was that there is a belief that frequent, day-to-day behaviours, such as recycling, have more of an impact on the environment than one-off, event-driven, behaviours, such as flying, leading to the assumption that ‘good’ daily behaviour legitimises or offsets occasional ‘bad’ behaviour.

“In fact, we found that pro-environmental behaviour is frequently associated in the public mind with one or more of sacrifice, higher cost or poorer quality.”

The PSI research team found many of the research participants in the five projects lacked scientific knowledge about environmental issues, particularly climate change, and wanted clearer, more concise information to aid understanding.
There was also seen to be a lack of trust in government, leading the PSI researchers to recommend that campaigns should be run in association with independent organisations.