Energy conservation and behaviour change opportunities at UBC

This project was undertaken over a 4 month course entitled Geography 419 Research in Environmental Geography and in conjunction with the community partner UBC SEEDS (Social, Ecological, Economic, Development Studies). The overarching aim, as requested by UBC SEEDS was to use community based social marketing (CBSM) to determine what barriers exist for UBC staff in the workplace to reduce energy consumption regarding lighting, computer use, and shared equipment use. The results of this were used to recommend how best to motivate staff to decrease their energy conservation consumption accordingly. As per the CBSM methodology and course requirements, a literature review of the theoretical and empirical studies of behaviour change and energy conservation was undertaken to better understand the subject. Following this a survey was designed, edited, piloted, and then administered attempting to understand the barriers to implementation. Results of the survey demonstrate which of the activities are least performed and why individuals do not undertake them. From these results, select behaviour change tools are recommended to be implemented by UBC SEEDS in conjunction with the UBC Sustainability Office.Arts, Faculty ofGeography, Department ofUnreviewedUndergraduat