Education and awareness are often highlighted as the silver bullet for moving the needle on sustainability in fashion. The belief is that if we educate people about the negative impact their shopping decisions have on people and the planet, they will change their behavior.
However, in the latest episode of the Green Behavior podcast, Joseph Merz shares his thoughts on why education and awareness *alone* aren’t enough to change consumer behavior, pointing to research by The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
Joseph highlights: “The only way we physically interact with the ecosphere is through our behavior. Yet, there is such a small amount of focus on our behavior. And where there is a focus, it is through the lens of awareness. There’s this assumption that all we have to do is make people aware of the issues, and they will change their behavior. But awareness has been increasing for a long time around climate change, yet behaviors aren’t changing.“
Instead, Joseph emphasized the need to shift towards using tools and mechanisms specifically designed to change behavior, like making the consequences of unsustainable behavior more immediate and visible and using social pressure to positively influence behavior.
Moreover, instead of focusing solely on symptoms like carbon emissions, Joseph advocates for a broader approach that addresses the root causes of ecological overshoot, such as population growth, excessive consumption, and waste production.
However, while Joseph believes education alone isn’t enough, he underscores the importance of transforming how we educate younger generations—raising them with different social norms and less trauma.
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts! 🎧
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ee2zMTkt
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/ecug_UAK