Perceptions and behaviour towards climate change and energy savings - The role of social media

Abstract

Success in promoting changes in behaviour is often dependent on the choice of interventions. This research investigates the use of social technology features as interventions to raise energy awareness and to promote a collective behavior change towards saving energy. Aiming at understanding this scenario, an online survey was conducted to extract from Internet users their current position towards climate change, energy savings, and social media usage. Main results are reported in this paper indicating, for instance, that social media is not yet a main source of information in this context. Triggering discussions around the consumption of specific appliances, and associating it with energy-saving tips based on personal experiences were pointed out as promising approaches to support behavior change through social media.