Behaviour Change

Behaviour change is all about discouraging the bad, supporting something better and encouraging the best. The increasing interest in influencing individual behaviours stems from a growing recognition that today’s most intractable problems, such as climate change, health, community participation and sustainability cannot be solved by either government or individuals acting alone.

What LSx have done

LSx take our inspiration from many sources, identifying the critical elements for any given project and continuously building on our own experiences and those of others. In 2009/10 we were able to save 1,400 tonnes of CO2 and engaged with 101,547 people to lead healthier more sustainable lifestyles.

• We’ve put research into practice building on strong social networks and working with influential people. For example our work in London’s Low Carbon Zones promoting energy and water saving behaviours, and Well London Communities promoting healthy lifestyles.
• Our community-led approaches build on NICE’s guidance  and other methods such as participatory budgeting. We reach isolated groups, increase community cohesion and engage people on health in London’s most deprived wards through our Well London programme.
• Building on the Sustainable Development Commission’s 4 E’s model, we work to enable and engage public and private sector organisations all over London to better plan their own projects to deliver effective change.
• We primarily engage with people who are not interested in environmental issues, for example using diverse faiths and cultures as a hook to outreach to London’s communities in our Diverse London and Motivate London programmes.
• We’ve helped build environmental capacity and given sustainability support to SMEs all over London, often by working with business networks and their community of customers.

Our Behaviour Change Programmes

Increasing awareness of environmental issues alone isn’t enough. To help make a shift in behaviour, we are delivering a number of projects:

Cleaner Air 4 Schools: Aims to engage parents, teachers, pupils and school governors at schools in Westminster, helping them understand the importance of air quality as well as influencing behaviours around travel and transport.

Energise London:  Aims to promote energy efficiency, use of renewable energy and water conservation across all 33 London Boroughs.

EcoVate: Supporting businesses to reduce their environmental impacts.

Degrees Cooler: Working with the NUS to encourage staff and students to 'green up' their universities.

Greener Food: Supported over 300 food and drink SMEs to cut their CO₂ emissions, waste production and water usage, and helped over 300 people working in the sector to improve their skills.

Climate Change: Increasing Londoners’ understanding of climate change and how we can all take action.

Reaching Culturally Diverse Communities: Through innovative social marketing campaigns and champions of change.

Small steps to a greener lifestyle: Aims to encourage and support London residents to take up a greener lifestyle.

Fit and Fun to Drink: Fit and Fun to Drink is a pilot campaign aimed at promoting tap instead of bottled water to East London’s Muslim community.