The human factor in energy efficiency: lessons from developing countries

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Pegels, Anna / Aurelia Figueroa / Babette Never
Books (2015)

Bonn: German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) / Pretoria: National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa (NCPC-SA)

Energy efficiency has a plethora of benefits on the individual, organisational, and social levels. However, there is still a gap between knowledge and implementation. While market failure serves as an important barrier to energy efficiency uptake, so do the characteristics of human behaviour. Literature on human behaviour reveals many entry points for the inclusion of ‘behavioural insights’ in the design of energy efficiency programmes.
Drawing from case studies on small and large industry in Colombia, India, South Africa, and Uganda, this report aims to provide practitioners with illustrations of how insights into human behaviour can be effectively integrated into energy efficiency programmes. The incorporation of behavioural insights should consider four aspects: the cultural context of the target group, windows of opportunity for the intervention, drivers and motivations, and the overall fit of the intervention with the package of measures.