- The Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE)
- School of Environmental Sciences
- University of East Anglia
- Norwich
- NR4 7TJ
- UK
Richard Baldwin
I worked for many years across a range of industries including travel, music and IT before making the decision to return to study for a BSc in Environmental Science at Queen Mary, University of London. The decision was motivated by my growing awareness and concern over issues relating to climate change and sustainable development that were sufficiently strong to trigger a complete change of direction career-wise. Realising that an undergraduate degree barely scratched the surface of my topics of interest, I applied for a PhD studentship at UEA entitled ‘Tackling Climate Change through Community’ which I was lucky enough to be offered.
My research interests cross a range of disciplines including environmental psychology and sociology with particular reference to how they impact on individuals responses to climate change as an issue. Sustainable consumption, pro-environmental behavioural change, low-carbon living and energy transitions are some of the more specific areas in which I am involved researching.
Whilst academics and policymakers claim that community-based organisations may be able to encourage individuals to adopt pro-environmental behavioural changes there is limited research-based evidence to support this assertion. The principal goal of my PhD research is therefore to provide a contribution to the evidence base by examining the role that ‘community’ can play in tackling climate change by acting as an instrument of change – i.e. a top-down approach to community engagement rather than a bottom-up grassroots approach. I hope that the contribution my PhD makes will serve as both a platform for further research as well as providing some useful insights for other academics and policy-makers working to encourage pro-environmental behavioural change.