Good Moves #4: Summer Refresher ☀️
Hi everyone,
As this 4th episode of Good Moves reaches your mailbox, all you might want to do is enjoy a well deserved holiday with your loved ones — and perhaps some light reading.
This is why this episode is a bit of a summer refresher, an easy read that re-visits some of the key themes covered in previous episodes.
This time, we start with an interview of Kevin Green, Vice President at Rare's Center for Behavior & the Environment, explaining how behavioural science can be used as a tool for change to tackle environmental challenges.
We’ve then summarised a paper on Behavioural Insights for Climate Action by Prof. Tobias Brosch from the University of Geneva. Brosch has done a great job at identifying key behavioural levers, with examples of concrete applications.
Last but not least, we share some takeouts from the recently launched United Nations’ Guidance Note on Behavioural Science. Although framed in the context of the UN entities, the document has relevance for most organisations.
Enjoy Good Moves,
The Behaven team
P.S.: if you would like to become a Good Moves contributor, share your experience or write about behavioural sustainability, please get in touch.
Behavioural Science, a Tool for Change to Tackle Environmental Challenges
Kevin Green, Vice President at Rare's Center for Behavior & the Environment, talks about using behavioural science as a set of ‘tools for change’ to tackle environmental challenges. If you need a refresher on adding behavioural science to your existing strategies, this interview is for you.
Behavioural Insights for Climate Action
In this summary of Professor Tobias Brosch’s paper, we talk about the need for a rapid behavioural shift towards more sustainable lifestyles if we want to mitigate climate change. Importantly, the paper describes some key behavioural levers and provides examples of concrete applications to promote change, along with a scientific assessment of each recommendation. Read this and get up to speed.
Using Behavioural Science to Achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The United Nations recently launched its Guidance Note on Behavioural Science, urging all its entities to “explore and apply behavioural science” and “realise its tremendous potential for impact towards the SDGs”.
António Guterres, Secretary-General, said “The UN cannot maintain a business-as-usual approach if it wants to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In many areas, the delivery of the UN’s mandates is linked to changing human behaviour – including the environment".
The note recommends to apply behavioural science throughout the entire process of policy-making, including in the following contexts:
Designing new and improving existing policies and programmes using a behavioural perspective to facilitate or encourage stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes.
Presenting information in a behaviourally-informed way to promote clarity, awareness and action.
Structuring and presenting choices in an evidence-based manner to reduce the impact of behavioural biases and barriers, and enable people to make informed decisions.
Fostering existing or emerging positive social norms, where doing so would promote the SDGs.
Combining behavioural and data sciences to better understand and predict outcomes and evaluate impact, all the while considering the existence of different challenges in distinct areas of the UN’s work.
Incorporating behavioural science methodologies in the reviews of programmes and operations (e.g. strategic and functional reviews).
Incorporating behaviour change principles and human-centred design into the development of digital products.
To view Guterres’s one-minute launch video and access the full guidance note, visit the UN Behavioural Science Group.
Missed the Previous Episodes?
Good Moves #1: Our interview of Bas Verplanken on habits and sustainability, and a summary of the most effective strategies to encourage sustainable behaviours
Good Moves #2: Our interview of Olivier Sibony on corporate decision making and sustainability, and an in-depth view of how cognitive biases can lead to corporate climate change inertia
Good Moves #3: Our interview of Reshma Tonse and Prakash Sharma on context architecture and sustainability, and an article by Beatrice Conte on the power of harnessing positive emotions to promote sustainable behaviour change