Collins, J. Thomas, G., Willis, R. & Wilsdon, J. (2004). Carrots, Sticks And Sermons. Demos, London.

Transcript

Achieving environmental goals depends in part on changing the views and behaviour of individuals. Government policy will not succeed unless it has the support of the public. For example, success in waste policy depends on encouraging people to sort their waste for recycling, and to re-use products or minimise waste wherever possible. Government can, of course, use regulation or taxes to change behaviour. But it can also try to influence using 'soft' tactics like providing information, or marketing and advertising. In reality, when dealing with a complex policy area, a combination of all of these approaches will be necessary. This report, the result of research undertaken for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, looks at how soft influencing strategies can be used in support of policy to help government achieve its environmental goals. It identifies current thinking and best practice in the art of public influencing and concludes by proposing seven steps for successful influencing which will help policy-makers to understand and influence public behaviour more systematically.