PhD Position NWA project “ChangeAble; Accelerating Climate Action by Leveraging Behavioural Change”

To limit global warming to 1.5°C and adapt to climate change, system transitions are urgently needed. Government intervention through climate policy is crucial for driving these transitions. While policy has been effective in promoting technological change, it struggles to induce lasting behavioural change. The NWO funded NWA project “ChangeAble: Accelerating climate action by leveraging behavioural change” identifies the relationship between climate policy, behaviour, and other enabling conditions as critical for successful government action in system transitions. Different knowledge institutions and societal partners have combined their strengths to inform and engage with policymakers. TU/e, UvA, RUG, HvA, RU, Natuur & Milieu, TNO and the National Climate Platform (NKP), amongst others, bring together scientific expertise and societal involvement.

This interdisciplinary 5-year PhD project combines insights from Communication Science and Psychology, specifically focusing on identifying individual and social drivers for sustainable behavioural change over time, as well as resistance to change. Furthermore, the project aims to identify the potential of behavioural change policies and interventions. By collaborating with another PhD candidate at TU/e, postdocs at RUG and UvA, as well as several researchers at HvA and other organizations, this PhD project will generate new scientific insights and help develop actionable recommendations for the Dutch government to design and implement effective, feasible policies—thereby contributing to accelerating the sustainable transition.

Application deadline: 14-03-2025

More information can be found here.