Behaviour change to accelerate Net Zero transitions at �Monash University
Report on the Monash Net Zero Behaviour Prioritisation Project
Dr Alexander Saeri & Emily Grundy
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What's the challenge?
Phase 1: Behaviour identification
Partners
Phase 2: Behaviour prioritisation
Monash Net Zero Behaviour Prioritisation
Findings & Recommendations
What behaviours are relevant to accelerating net zero transitions on campus?
Systematic evidence review of university net zero literature
Methods
Outputs
Research question
High impact & easy behaviours incl. switching to remote work and habitual energy saving
Support facilities & operations staff to implement high impact installation / retrofit behaviours
Engage with climate and social trade-offs for remote vs. in-person attendance
Connect easier, lower impact behaviours to one-off & habitual higher impact ones
Assess Net Zero Initiative activities to maximise fit with high priority behaviours
Which behaviours should be targeted first to accelerate net zero transitions at Monash?
Survey of Monash staff & students, and net zero experts
Methods
Outputs
Research question
Explore the results!
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
How to navigate this report
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Executive summary | 1 page overview of the project and its findings |
Light blue pages | Key information about the project and a summary of activities |
Whole document | 'Deep dive' into the project methods and findings |
Explore all project outputs in this Google Drive folder
Report contents
Executive summary………………………….3
Net Zero Behaviour Prioritisation project.....5
Behaviour identification……………….…….12
Behaviour prioritisation……………….…….21
Discussion……………………………….…..39
Authors
Alexander K Saeri, Emily A C Grundy
alexander.saeri@monash.edu
BehaviourWorks Australia�Monash Sustainable Development Institute�Monash University
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the project advisory team: Darren Sharp & Rob Raven at Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University; Mures Zarea & Jonas Pigeon at ENGIE Lab Crigen, and Xiaoyang Peng at ENGIE Lab Singapore. The authors also thank Monash staff and students and ENGIE staff participants for contributing their experiences and expertise with net zero behaviours.
Declarations of Conflict of Interest
The authors have no conflicts to declare.
Research Ethics
The research contained in this report has the approval of Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (ID: 34506)
Citation
Saeri, A.K., Grundy, E.A.C. (2022). Behaviour change to accelerate Net Zero transitions at Monash. BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash University.
Funding Declaration
This project was funded by the Monash-ENGIE Alliance Net Zero Solutions Fund.
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The Net Zero Behaviour Prioritisation Project
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Project Context
Monash Net Zero Initiative
Whole-of-University commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions (Scope 1, 2) by 2030
Net Zero Solutions Fund
Research, education and translation activities to address technology, economic, policy, and social barriers to achieving net zero emissions
Monash-ENGIE Alliance
Decarbonise Monash University by 2030 and support applied research to accelerate net zero transitions in precincts, urban districts, and cities
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Learn more: monash.edu/net-zero-initiative
Pillars for Decarbonisation at Monash University
Energy efficiency measures
Fulfilling the goal of net zero emissions for Monash's built environment by 2030
Campus electrification
Renewable energy
Addressing residual emissions through offsetting
A sustainable microgrid
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Learn more: monash.edu/net-zero-initiative/about/strategy
Why did we conduct the Net Zero Behaviour project?
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Monash has committed to achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2030
100% renewable energy and rebuilding Monash infrastructure will get us part of the way
Staff and student behaviour change is also needed to achieve this goal
BUT we don’t know what behaviours are needed OR what works to increase those behaviours
There are many behaviours, so we need to identify & prioritise the most important
To do this, we conducted a systematic literature review and prioritisation process
What is the value of this project?
Behaviour identification and prioritisation can help decide which behaviours should be targeted to reach net zero faster
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Whose behaviour were we looking at?
Included in our project
There is a trade-off between decision-making power and group size
We tried to identify behaviours for all groups large enough for behaviour change interventions to work
We distinguish between "staff" and "facilities, operations and administrative staff"
We consider "staff" and "students" to have a very similar behaviour set when it comes to net zero
n~10, 'set a net zero goal for the university'
n~100, 'appoint a net zero champion in your business unit'
n~1000, 'commute using public transport'
n~10000, 'buy plant-based food on campus'
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Project Methods
Identify behaviours
1. Create a long list of possible net zero behaviours through rigorous evidence review
Survey experts
2. To get estimates of the carbon emissions reduction potential of different behaviours (‘Impact’)
Survey staff and students
3. To understand current adoption of different behaviours (‘Adoption’) and perceptions of effort (‘Likelihood’)
Analyse data
4. Visualise findings using a decision-support tool: Impact-Likelihood matrix
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Identifying net zero behaviours
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SUMMARY: Identifying net zero behaviours
Results
Methods
Recommendations
Research question: What behaviours are relevant to accelerating net zero transitions on campus?
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SUMMARY: Identified Net Zero behaviours
Staff & students (27)
Facilities, Administration & Operations staff (45)
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Share energy-intensive equipment
Use digital documents not paper
Use campus shared space
Public transport commute
Remotely attend interstate/international events
Buy carbon offsets for air travel
Restrict HVAC to work hours
Test equipment to reduce energy use
Modify equipment to reduce energy use
Maintain vehicle fleets for fuel efficiency
Program for public transport commute
Buy carbon offsets for air travel (for others)
Assess refit / construction plans for energy efficiency
Buy energy-efficient appliances / equipment
Assess refit / construction plans for energy efficiency
Retrofit buildings to insulate HVAC
Install energy management system
Install sensors and display feedback on energy use
Give remote control to microgrid operator
Key
Energy use
Mobility
Retrofit and replacement
Sensors and automation
+ 21 more
+ 33 more
Why identify behaviours relevant to net zero on campus?
Reaching net zero / zero carbon on campus and in urban precincts & cities requires behaviour change (adoption, curtailment, innovation, …)
Most existing scholarly research focuses on household behaviours, only some of which are relevant to workplaces / university campuses
Some guides exist with ideas for behaviour change interventions on campus (e.g., the Little Book of Green Nudges)
Here we aim to create a comprehensive long list of behaviours that can be used to assess existing initiatives and help measure progress towards net zero.
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Evidence review to identify net zero behaviours
SCOPUS database for systematic reviews of net zero and emissions reduction behaviours
Internal and public reports on net zero (e.g., ClimateWorks, ENGIE reports, Net Zero Initiative reports)
Many websites and databases (e.g., European Environment Agency, OECD, Green University Networks, International Sustainable Campus Network, C40 Cities)
Scholarly research
International reports & strategies
Monash relevant reports
Method & Evidence sources
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We conducted a systematic search and review of scholarly research, international reports & strategies, and Monash-relevant reports.
PRISMA diagram
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Records identified through grey literature searching
(n = 32)
Records identified through database searching
(n = 555)
Records after duplicates removed �(n = 674)
Records screened using Title & Abstract (n = 674)
Full-text articles assessed for eligibility (n = 62)
Papers & reports included (N = 25)
IDENTIFICATION
SCREENING
ELIGIBILITY
INCLUDED
Records excluded (n = 612)
Full-text articles excluded (n = 37):
11 Not right outcomes
1 Not in English
16 Not right study design
1 Not right setting
1 Not right population
3 Full text not available
4 Other
Records identified through Elicit
(n = 87)
Records identified through internal reports
(n = 9)
Results: list of included reports and papers
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Scholarly papers
Peer reviewed scholarly reviews |
Agent-Based Modelling of Urban District Energy System Decarbonisation—A Systematic Literature Review (Akhatova et al, 2022) |
Organisational travel plans for improving health (Review) (Hosking et al, 2010) |
Multilevel barrier and driver analysis to improve sustainability implementation strategies: Towards sustainable operations in institutions of higher education (Hueske & Guenther, 2020) |
Carbon footprint in Higher Education Institutions: a literature review and prospects for future research (Valls-Val & Bovea, 2021) |
International reports and strategies |
A Behavioural Lens on Transportation Systems: The Psychology of Commuter Behaviour and Transportation Choices (Kim Ly, Saurabh Sati, and Erica Singer, 2017) |
Five impactful actions cities can take to reduce building energy demand (C40 Cities, 2019) |
How to drive electric vehicle uptake in your city (C40 Cities, 2021) |
How to drive a modal shift from private vehicles to public transport, walking and cycling (C40 Cities, 2021) |
The Playbook for Zero Emissions Mobility: Latin America and the Caribbean (C40 Cities, 2021) |
How to achieve a walking and cycling transformation in your city (C40 Cities, 2021) |
2013 WEF-ISCN Report: Signature Projects (International Sustainable Campus Network, 2013) |
2014 WEF-ISCN Report: Best Practice in Campus Sustainability (International Sustainable Campus Network, 2014) |
2015 WEF-ISCN Report: Developing Skills for Future Leaders (International Sustainable Campus Network, 2015) |
2016 WEF-ISCN Report: Demonstrating Sustainable Development in Higher Education (International Sustainable Campus Network, 2016) |
2017 WEF-ISCN Report: Educating for Sustainability (International Sustainable Campus Network, 2017) |
2018 WEF-ISCN Report: Educating with Purpose (International Sustainable Campus Network, 2018) |
Cities, Climate Change and Multilevel Governance (Corfee-Morlot et al., 2009) |
Greening Universities toolkit (Osmond et al, 2013) |
Greening Universities toolkit V2.0 (Dave et al, 2014) |
The Little Book of Green Nudges (United Nations Environment Programme & GRIDArendal, 2020) |
Monash-relevant reports |
Behaviour in Microgrids: Stakeholder Dialogue Summary and Impact-Likelihood Matrix (Klemm, Tull, & Smith (BehaviourWorks Australia), 2021) |
Identifying and targeting human behaviour in Microgrids. Literature and Practice Review (Klemm, Tull, & Smith (BehaviourWorks Australia), 2020) |
Decarbonisation Futures: Solutions, actions and benchmarks for a net zero emissions Australia (Climateworks Centre, 2020) |
Monash Net Zero Initiative (Monash University, 2020) |
Net Zero Transport Strategy: Roadmap of Initiatives (Monash University, 2021) |
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Domain | Staff & Student behaviours |
energy | Enable energy-saving features on computers and other equipment instead of the default settings |
energy | Keep building windows closed while air conditioning / heating is on |
energy | Purchase energy-efficient appliances and equipment when replacing old ones |
energy | Rearrange work areas to maximise thermal comfort (e.g., avoid direct sunlight in summer) |
energy | Set the temperature of air-conditioning in buildings and rooms to be energy-efficient (e.g., 18C in winter, 25C in summer) instead of the default settings |
energy | Share energy-intensive equipment instead of purchasing your own |
energy | Shift the time of day that energy intensive equipment and services are used (e.g., lab equipment, refrigeration, HVAC), to match renewable generation periods or off-peak periods |
energy | Switch off computers and other equipment after use instead of leaving them switched on |
energy | Switch off lights in empty rooms instead of leaving them on |
energy | Turn off electrical appliances when not in use |
energy | Use digital documents instead of printed documents |
energy | Use laptop computer instead of desktop computer |
energy | Use weather forecast to plan an energy-efficient day (e.g., clothes, travel mode) |
energy | When on campus, work or study in large shared spaces (e.g., library) instead of small private spaces (e.g., office) |
mobility | Compress work or study into fewer days to reduce travel to / from campus |
mobility | Purchase carbon emissions offsets when booking air travel |
mobility | Remotely attend interstate or international events instead of air travel |
mobility | Remotely attend university activities instead of travelling to / from campus |
mobility | Travel around campus using active transport (e.g., walking, cycling) instead of private vehicle |
mobility | Travel around campus using an e-bike instead of private vehicle |
mobility | Travel between building floors using stairs instead of elevators |
mobility | Travel to / from campus using active transport (e.g., walking, cycling) instead of private vehicle |
mobility | Travel to / from campus using carpooling instead of private vehicle |
mobility | Travel to / from campus using public transport instead of private vehicle |
mobility | Travel to / from regional events using bus or rail instead of air travel |
other | Purchase plant-based food on campus instead of animal-based food |
other | Sort recyclables and food waste on campus instead of putting it in general rubbish |
Domain | Facilities, Administration & Operations behaviours |
energy | Appoint a person to be responsible for getting to net zero within the work team / business unit |
energy | Create guidelines for building occupants about what devices can be used and when |
energy | Create or manage a program to REDUCE energy use by providing feedback to staff / students |
energy | Enable energy-saving features on computers and other equipment instead of the default settings |
energy | Modify existing equipment to use less energy (e.g., disable heaters in kitchenettes) |
energy | Rearrange work areas to maximise natural light and reduce need for artificial lighting |
energy | Rearrange work areas to maximise thermal comfort (e.g., avoid direct sunlight in summer) |
energy | Require advanced reservation to heat and cool large spaces (e.g., auditoriums and lecture halls) |
energy | Restrict heating and cooling operation to ordinary work hours |
energy | Restrict lighting operation to ordinary work hours |
energy | Set the temperature of air-conditioning in buildings and rooms to be energy-efficient (e.g., 18C in winter, 25C in summer) instead of the default settings |
energy | Shift the time of day that energy intensive equipment and services are used (e.g., lab equipment, refrigeration, HVAC), to match renewable generation periods or off-peak periods |
energy | Test that equipment is functioning properly to minimise electricity loss |
energy | Turn off electrical appliances when not in use |
energy | Use digital documents instead of printed documents |
mobility | Compress work or study into fewer days to reduce travel to / from campus |
mobility | Conduct environmental audits (e.g., assess building / equipment energy usage) |
mobility | Conduct regular maintenance to optimise fleet motor vehicle fuel efficiency |
mobility | Create or manage a program to INCREASE active transport (e.g., walking, cycling) use when staff / students travel to / from campus |
mobility | Create or manage a program to INCREASE electric vehicle use when staff / students travel to / from campus |
mobility | Create or manage a program to INCREASE public transport (e.g., bus, train) use when staff / students travel to / from campus |
mobility | Create or manage a program to INCREASE staff / students remotely attending interstate or international events instead of air travel |
mobility | Create or manage a program to INCREASE staff / students remotely attending university activities instead of travelling to / from campus |
mobility | Create or manage a program to REDUCE private vehicle use when staff / students travel to / from campus |
mobility | Provide student housing on campus to reduce commuting |
mobility | Purchase carbon emissions offsets when booking air travel on behalf of other people |
mobility | Purchase electric vehicles for university fleet when replacing old ones |
retrofit and replacement | Assess plans for refurbishment and construction to ensure they meet energy efficiency standards |
retrofit and replacement | Convert light fittings to LED |
retrofit and replacement | Install renewable energy generation |
retrofit and replacement | Introduce minimum energy efficiency standards for energy intensive appliances and equipment |
retrofit and replacement | Purchase energy-efficient appliances and equipment when replacing old ones |
retrofit and replacement | Purchase renewable energy |
retrofit and replacement | Replace equipment and heating that uses fossil fuels (e.g., natural gas) with electric equipment and heating |
retrofit and replacement | Replace equipment with more efficient equipment |
retrofit and replacement | Retrofit buildings to add insulation between HVAC and some internal equipment / rooms |
retrofit and replacement | Retrofit buildings to reduce energy loss (e.g., insulation, weather sealing, thermal barriers, shading, paint) |
other | Create or manage a program to increase staff / students plant-based food consumption |
other | Purchase plant-based food on campus instead of animal-based food |
other | Sort recyclables and food waste on campus instead of putting it in general rubbish |
sensors and automation | Install an energy management system to automate the use of energy in a building |
sensors and automation | Install sensors / meters to provide feedback on the use of energy in a building |
sensors and automation | Install sensors and automation for HVAC in building |
sensors and automation | Install sensors and automation for lighting in building |
sensors and automation | Permit electricity provider (e.g., microgrid operator) to remotely control building equipment |
List of all identified behaviours
Outputs & recommendations
List of reports (access here)�
List of behaviours (access here)�
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Prioritising net zero behaviours
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SUMMARY: Prioritising net zero behaviours
Methods
Criteria
Motivation
Research question: Which behaviours should be targeted first to accelerate net zero transitions on campus precincts?
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SUMMARY: Prioritising net zero behaviours
Results
Recommendations
Research question: Which behaviours should be targeted first to accelerate net zero transitions at Monash?
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Why prioritise behaviours?
Monash needs to apply its resources efficiently in order to reach a goal of net zero by 2030.
Understanding which behaviours are most impactful, and which are easier to change, can help with strategic decision making about starting, stopping, or targeting initiatives / activities to accelerate transitions to net zero.
Measuring current adoption and assessing transformational potential can help enrich this decision-making.
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How we prioritised behaviours
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Create long list of behaviours
Determine criteria for prioritisation
Rate each behaviour on each criterion
High priority behaviours
Consultation with Monash & ENGIE
Identified through systematic evidence review
Survey of staff, students, and net zero experts
Visualised with Impact-Likelihood matrix
Prioritisation criteria
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Criterion | Surveyed | Question as it appeared on survey |
Impact | Net zero experts | How much does [the behaviour] DIRECTLY contribute to reducing emissions at Monash university campus precinct? |
Ease | Staff & students | How much effort is needed to do [the behaviour] each time you can? |
Participation | Staff & students | How many out of 100 other [staff] would do [the behaviour] if they could? |
Strategic fit | Net zero experts | Is influencing [the behaviour] consistent with the strategic goals of Monash University? |
Transformational potential | Net zero experts | Will influencing [the behaviour] create pressure on the current system to change towards a net zero future? |
Note. Strategic fit & transformational potential are not reported here, but available for additional analysis
Prioritisation survey
An online flexible Qualtrics survey
All participants rated at least 15 behaviours
Participants could choose to rate more behaviours if they had time / interest
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Students and staff
Told us how easy or hard different behaviours are, and current participation rate
Up to 27 behaviours for staff & students
Up to 45 behaviours for FAO staff
Experts
Told us how impactful, strategic, and transformational different behaviours are
Up to 72 behaviours (27+45) in total
Prioritisation survey responses
Students
47 students participated
Most were undergraduate (64%)
Each student behaviour had ~20 ratings of ease & participation (by students)
Experts
38 net zero experts participated from Monash, ClimateWorks, and ENGIE
Nearly all worked directly or indirectly on reducing emissions towards net zero / zero carbon (92%)
Each behaviour had ~6 ratings of impact
Staff (regular & FAO)
47 regular staff and 21 FAO staff participated
Most were full time (77%)
Each regular staff behaviour had ~24 ratings of ease & participation (by regular staff)
Each FAO staff behaviour had ~9 FAO ratings of ease & participation (by FAO staff)
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A decision-support tool for selecting behaviours
This decision-support tool helps allocate attention and resources to the most important behaviours
It visualises relationships and trade-offs between impact of a behaviour on an issue, and the likelihood of behaviour change
It also shows current participation for each behaviour
Impact-likelihood matrix
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Kneebone et al (2021). Getting ready to deep dive - defining, identifying and prioritising behaviours. �doi: 10.26180/14515794
Kneebone et al (2017). The Impact-Likelihood Matrix: A policy tool for behaviour prioritisation. �doi: 10.1016/j.envsci.2016.11.013
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Low
High
Easier and higher impact
Harder and lower impact
Harder and higher impact
Easier and lower impact
EASE OF BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
DIRECT IMPACT
Low
High
Potential target for change, but resource-intensive diagnosis and careful intervention design required
Lowest priority
Possible target for change to build momentum or leverage other behaviours
First priority for change, may already be a target for interventions
Interpreting an Impact-Likelihood Matrix
ADOPTION
Many
Few
Larger data points (‘bubbles’) represent a larger proportion of the target audience who are already doing the behaviour.
In our visualisations, we have removed behaviours where most people (>80%) say they couldn't have done it in the past 12 months
Monash student behaviours
Top (easiest & highest impact) behaviours:
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Energy
Food & Waste
Mobility
Monash staff behaviours
Top (easiest & highest impact) behaviours:
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Energy
Food & Waste
Mobility
Recommendations: Monash staff & student behaviours
Most mobility behaviours were rated as harder and higher impact
An exception was remote work / study, which was one of the easiest behaviours while still being higher impact. However, Monash has sought has encourage return to in-person attendance, so the trade-offs need to be engaged with
Less than 20% of students could do these even once in the past 12 months:
Leverage easy habitual behaviours (turning off lights / equipment) to drive shifts in other habits (e.g., shifting time of use of HVAC) and one-off behaviours (e.g., purchasing efficient equipment)
Engage with the climate, health, and social trade-offs for remote vs. in-person attendance
Check-in on why a few behaviours weren't possible for students
Connect easier, lower impact behaviours to one-off & habitual higher impact actions
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Top (easiest & highest impact) behaviours:
Monash FAO staff behaviours (general)
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Energy
Food & Waste
Mobility
Recommendations: FAO staff behaviours (energy & mobility)
Some higher impact behaviours involved changing equipment settings and schedules (e.g., HVAC & lighting)
Others involved programs to influence staff / student behaviour (e.g., digital documents, carbon offsets)
Changing FAO staff behaviour can have a multiplier effect
Less than 20% of FAO staff said they could do these behaviours in the past 12 months
Investigate similar behaviours across audiences to identify the right target audience
One example is that students and staff find HVAC settings harder to change; but FAO staff find this easy - so target FAO staff
Support FAO staff to implement central policies & adapt programs for their business unit
Explore accuracy of perceptions, because many FAO behaviours were seen as inaccessible
Consider the audience when assessing who needs to change behaviour
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Monash FAO staff behaviours (infrastructure)
Top (easiest & highest impact) behaviours:
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Retrofit and replacement
Sensors and automation
Recommendations: FAO staff behaviours �(automation & retrofits)
Most automation and retrofit behaviours were seen as inaccessible for FAO staff
We did not investigate barriers in this research (e.g., cost, approval to implement structural retrofits) but to scale up and accelerate net zero adoption across campus & precincts, FAO staff could be empowered to implement limited structural changes
Consider whether high impact / low risk retrofits could be 'owned' by FAO staff
Retrofit and replacement behaviours that <20% of FAO staff could do in past 12 months:
Sensors and automation behaviours that <20% of FAO staff could do in past 12 months:
All of the above behaviours were seen as 'higher impact' than the average (median) FAO staff behaviour
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Explore the data using an interactive Prioritisation Matrix
bwa-aksaeri.shinyapps.io/netzero_behaviour_monash ← click here!
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These tabs let you customise the matrix or read more about the project
Choose the behavioural domains you want displayed
Choose the audience you want displayed
You can also display all behaviours, even if most people said they couldn't do them
Discussion
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Strengths of the project
Our project included facilities, administrative, and operations staff
We created multiple outputs with different uses
The survey involved a comprehensive recruitment strategy
What did we do right? What worked out well?
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Weaknesses of the project
We could have refined the long list of behaviours with audience input
It’s difficult to get data about impact on emissions
We found it hard to get traction / engagement from some groups
What didn’t go so well? What would we do differently?
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What could you be doing differently?
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Implementers of net zero on campus / precincts |
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Advisors to organisations on �net zero |
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Facilities, operations, and administration staff |
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Staff and students |
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Net zero & behaviour change researchers |
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THANK YOU
Reach out:�alexander.saeri@monash.edu
Explore the findings:
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Additional slides
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Questions for discussion
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