Promoting sustainable energy choices through information and social norms: results of two Italian case studies of the EU-H2020 project "ENCHANT"

In this poster we present the preliminary results of two case studies testing different behavioural interventions to promote sustainable energy choices, conducted in Italy in the more general context of the EU-funded HORIZON 2020 research project titled “Energy Efficiency through behaviour change transition strategies–ENCHANT”. The main aim of ENCHANT is to review and assess previously available knowledge about behavioural intervention to reduce energy consumption, and to design, conduct and test new intervention strategies through a series of RCT-like field experiments in six EUMember States (Norway, Austria, Italy, Germany, Romania, and Turkey)The case studies presented here were conducted in Italy, with the active participation of an Italian energy cooperative and renewable energy provider and of a non-profit foundation devoted to the preservation of the natural, cultural and archaeological heritage in central Italy. Results of the energy cooperative case study (N = 184) showed that the performance of sustainable behaviours by cooperative members is driven by environmental and health factors, rather than economic ones, and that sustainable energy choices and behavioursare predicted by organizational identity and social norms.Results of the non-profit foundation case study (N = 1114) showed that feelings of connectedness to nature predict beliefs in global warming through the mediation of discrete emotions such as guilt and happiness, and that exposure to climate-related information in natural settings increases individual willingness to donate money for renewable energy projects.The theoretical and practical implications of the case studies results will be discussed, also in relation to similar energy-related EU-based projects, policies and initiatives, aimed at contrasting energy poverty, empowering energy communities, sustainingenergy citizenship and promoting sustainable energy choices.