ENERGY AND BEHAVIOUR: A multi-faceted perspective towards a low carbon future

It is widely acknowledged that the path towards a low carbon future includes thedecarbonisation of energy supply and the promotion of energy efficiency and behaviouralchanges, requiring people to change their daily lives, the way they work, move, consume andinteract socially [1]. But, although people are central to the energy system, the definition of“energy behaviour” is evolving and depends on who is studying it and how. Much of the currentliterature associates energy behaviour with individual actions in homes, leaving groups andtheir dynamics in businesses and industry understudied ADDIN EN.CITE [2, 3]. This workpresents a multi-faceted view emanating from the book “Energy and Behaviour – Challenges ofa low-carbon future” [4], we co-edited, to shed light on the interface of people and energy,including the main disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to this topic, cross-sectoralperspectives, modelling techniques, and new areas where additional evidence is required forinterventions and policy-making. In this work, “energy and behaviour” is broadly understood asthe role of people (individuals, groups, or society), organisations, and technology in energy use.