Dr. Ralph Piotrowski from the Ecologic Institute presented research on supporting sustainable behavior change through creating supportive environments. The research project InContext analyzes case studies of alternative practices and accompanies transition processes in local communities. Key findings include that educational efforts should avoid critique and focus on joint reflection of human needs and quality of life. Policy recommendations encourage maintaining spaces for experimentation, collective ownership models, and financial support for transition initiatives.

1. www.ecologic.eu
How to unleash the transformative potential of local communities
Sustainable Economy Forum – SITRA
Hotel Berlin, November 8, 2012
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski
Ecologic Institute
ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu
www.ecologic.eu

2. www.ecologic.eu
Overview
Starting point: Research interest, basic assumptions and characteristic of supportive
environments.
Research project: InContext - Supportive environments for sustainable living.
First experiences & Reflections
Policy recommendations: top down for bottom up
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski – Ecologic Institute – ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu 2

3. www.ecologic.eu
Ecologic’s Research on Transition and Behavioural Change
• What can be learned from human nature and psychology
to foster sustainable behaviour?
• Applying insights from humanistic psychology (like Carl Rogers) to support behavioural
change
( i. e. to create spaces that enable humans
to apply strategies to successfully
fulfill their basic human needs.)
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski – Ecologic Institute – ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu 3

4. www.ecologic.eu
Assumptions based on humanistic psychology
Second order learning (reframing the values, assumptions and policies that lead to
actions) necessary for behavioral change
Non-directive approaches create spaces that allow for second order learning.
Second order learning is facilitated if humans enter a space in which they
experience unconditional positive regard.
http://www.dortherindbo.dk/workshops.aspx
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski – Ecologic Institute – ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu 4

5. www.ecologic.eu
Characteristics of supportive environments
The role of the facilitator is to create an environment, which people experience as a
means for self-reflection and ‘personal development.’
Characteristics:
 Unconditional positive regard
 Non-directivity
 Open ended process with no clear aim
Objective: Photo: http://www.freiraumschule.at/
 Fostering the ability of people to connect to their
needs and to enable them to choose successful
strategies to fulfill them.
 Empowerment: Nurturing the ability of people to take
responsibility for their local environment and their
chosen lifestyle.
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski – Ecologic Institute – ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu 5

6. www.ecologic.eu
Overview
Starting point: Research interest, basic assumptions and characteristic of supportive
environments.
Research project: InContext - Supportive environments for sustainable living.
First experiences & Reflections
Policy recommendations: top down for bottom up
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski – Ecologic Institute – ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu 6

7. www.ecologic.eu
InContext – Individuals in Context
• Analyze three case studies of collective
alternative practices.
• Conduct and accompany transition processes
in three local communities.
• Formulate policy recommendations on creating
supportive environments.
visit: www.incontext-fp7.eu
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski – Ecologic Institute – ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu 7

8. InContext Partners
http://www.incontext-fp7.eu/partners
www.ecologic.eu
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski – Ecologic Institute – ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu 8

9. www.ecologic.eu
Overview
Starting point: Research interest, basic assumptions and characteristic of supportive
environments.
Research project: InContext - Supportive environments for sustainable living.
First experiences & Reflections
Policy recommendations: top down for bottom up
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski – Ecologic Institute – ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu 9

10. www.ecologic.eu
How to unleash transformative potentials
• Open spaces for self-reflection and experiments.
• Talk about human needs and ways to fulfil them. Don’t talk about
sustainability.
• Work with frontrunners – don’t try to be representative.
• Try to fully understand what motivates people and be
appreciative of their (potentially unsustainable) actions.
• Avoid paternalism. Don’t blame people or make them feel guilty.
http://tinyurl.com/cnlm9nv
• Let people decide what they want. They are the experts for their
own lives.
Is this obvious? Or a paradigm shift in policymaking?
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski – Ecologic Institute – ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu 10

11. www.ecologic.eu
Reflections
Any educational effort that implies the notion of critique, judgment or guilt is
counter-productive - especially if it comes from people who do not live a
sustainable lifestyles themselves.
Better: Joint reflection of what we want, how to improve quality of life
and why we find it sometimes difficult.
Nevertheless: Trusting an open-end process with no pre-determined outcome is
perceived as unusual by citizens and the methodological approach is not easily
understood by everybody (visioning and back-casting etc.).
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski – Ecologic Institute – ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu 11

12. www.ecologic.eu
Overview
Starting point: Research interest, basic assumptions and characteristic of supportive
environments.
Research project: InContext - Supportive environments for sustainable living.
First experiences & Reflections
Policy recommendations: top down for bottom up
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski – Ecologic Institute – ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu 12

13. www.ecologic.eu
Policy recommendations: top down for bottom up
Establishing and maintaining the infrastructure needed for transition experiments,
weighing the public benefits of these initiatives against the potential income from
selling or renting the space to private investors.
Opening mental spaces for alternative practices during kindergarten, school,
university and professional education, e.g., by maintaining spaces that allow for
experimentation and experience (e.g., maintaining a school garden)
Creating or improving legal models for collective ownership.
Giving financial support to initiatives or facilitators who support alternative
experiments.
Removing bureaucratic requirements experiments and/or adapting enforcement
and oversight procedures to specific needs of the respective initiative.
Maintaining public spaces that can serve as meeting venues and places for
exchange.
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski – Ecologic Institute – ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu 13

14. www.ecologic.eu
Additional slide
Dr. Ralph Piotrowski – Ecologic Institute – ralph.piotrowski@ecologic.eu 14

15. Transition levels
Macro-level: landscape
autonomous trends, paradigms,
slow changes
Meso-level: regime
Dominant structure, culture and
practices
Micro-level: niches
innovative ideas, projects,
technologies, niche actors
Based on Geels and Kemp, 2001