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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
James O’Malley

Behavioural battlefronts: why the transition to a zero carbon economy needs psychology as well as technology

Chris Sansom, professor of concentrating solar power at the University of Derby.
Chris Sansom, professor of concentrating solar power at the University of Derby. Photograph: Helena Dolby/The Guardian

When it comes to humanity’s collective effort to tackle the climate crisis, wind turbines and solar panels are big success stories. Their average cost has dropped significantly over the past decade, they’re increasingly ubiquitous, and they’re undoubtedly powerful weapons as we work to build a zero carbon economy.

But there’s one problem: the technology itself is only part of the equation, and the much messier part involves people – their reactions, their feelings and their behaviours.

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