Brain Power – The role of psychology in energy transitions
04 juni 2021 16:00 t/m 17:00 - Locatie: Zoom - Door: Social Innovation in the Energy Transition | Zet in mijn agenda
Topic
In this webinar, TU Delft climate psychologist Gerdien de Vries explains why and how psychological perspectives, theory and methods are useful for energy transitions.
Energy transitions imply changes in the behaviour of all actors involved. For example, citizens and organisations need to accept and use new energy technologies, policymakers have to design effective policies, and industries and researchers need to push for both technological and social innovations. Behavioural change in energy transitions is difficult to accomplish though. Psychological mechanisms, such as habits, hassles, and heuristics are identified as important barriers. Therefore, interest in psychology is growing among stakeholders dealing with energy transitions. This interest is visible in the emergence of behavioural or “nudge” units within governmental, civic, and commercial organizations. But despite this emergence, the integration of psychology in the broader energy system is relatively underdeveloped in literature and public policy alike. Dr. de Vries calls for a change.
Key-note speaker:
Gerdien de Vries
Gerdien de Vries obtained her PhD at Leiden University as a social psychologist in the field of climate and energy. For her doctoral thesis, she investigated how the framing of climate policy influences support for sustainability measures and green behaviour. “I wanted to translate this knowledge into practical applications, such as in policy. The question always asked of research at TU Delft is: What can we do with it? This approach really appeals to me.”
In Delft, De Vries brings her own specialisation together with other research disciplines such as technology, policy, management and communication in order to bring about the most effective possible transition to a greener world.