PhD Project

The project examines the regulation of the energy consumption of private households from the 1970s to 1990s. Methodically, it focuses on the regulatory instruments, which were supposed to influence citizens’ behaviour in ecologically friendly ways. Based on a decentred understanding of regulation, the project investigates both governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations.

Disappointed by the observation that rising environmental awareness did not translate into corresponding behaviour, political and scientific experts looked for regulatory instruments to supplement laws and educational initiatives. Economists, psychologists, and social scientists increasingly offered expert advice on how to bridge the gap between ecological awareness and behaviour. Concentrating on the regulation of energy consumption behaviour, the PhD project investigates the change as well as the combination of different regulatory instruments over time. Distinguishing systematically between market based, behavioural, and educational regulatory strategies in environmental policy, the project tries to contribute to a better understanding of the transformation of governance since the 1970s.

The PhD project is part of the project “Expecting Limits and Limiting Expectations – Economic Expertise, Environmental Policy and Consumption, 1970-2000”