Theories behind a voluntary sustainable behaviour change campaign

Diplôme Master Theories behind a voluntary sustainable behaviour change campaign eng 2025-09-18 author Michel Atys Maximilian 411838 director Sahakian Marlyne 0000-0003-0196-7865 637082 Service enseignement, recherche, administratif et technique (SdS) (SCSPS) 66 Climate change represents one of the most urgent challenges of our time. While national policies and technological innovation are essential, behavioural change at the individual and collective level also plays a crucial role in reducing emissions. Yet, as the IPCC's Sixth As- sessment Report highlights, individual action alone is insufficient unless embedded within wider structural and cultural change (IPCC, 2022). Voluntary initiatives such as citizen cam- paigns can nevertheless contribute by raising awareness, encouraging experimentation with new practices, and potentially building social mandates that support systemic climate poli- cies. Understanding the effectiveness and limitations of such measures is therefore vital for ensuring they contribute meaningfully to the ecological transition. This report evaluates the "Mon Défi Carbone" campaign, a pilot initiative launched in 2025 by Impact Hub Geneva in collaboration with the Canton and City of Geneva and 2050Today. The campaign sought to mobilise residents of Grand Genève towards more sus- tainable lifestyles through a carbon calculator, thematic newsletters, public events, and part- nerships with local organisations. Over 1,400 participants registered, exceeding the initial target. Engagement data metrics were mixed, however, as many participants expressed sup- port, yet some events and partnerships were unfruitful. The findings suggest that while the campaign succeeded in awareness-raising and in fram- ing sustainable behaviours as socially desirable, its primarily informational approach limited deeper, Dewey 301 SACHA 197 Institut de recherches sociologiques TG 122 Département de sociologie T4 false 7f0bf04b-36d8-4d01-853e-b6cf9f0589cd Sustainable societies and social change 42c5a2f9-01ed-4eff-a425-9fd7b1f2916f Master thesis Public Internship_Thesis_-_Atys_Michel_-_M.pdf 5529886 application/pdf a9f5cbae144ecce4d6a20006951c7420f3aca73ccd4a12d5b5799ee3492227b1 openAccess Faculté des sciences de la société / Institut de recherches sociologiques Faculté des sciences de la société / Département de sociologie

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Theories behind a voluntary sustainable behaviour change campaign				2025	47	94

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Michel, Atys Maximilian