Painting the Town Green
A provocative and groundbreaking report on how the green movement could better encourage and help people to 'go green', produced with backing from seven organisations
Painting the Town Green: How to Persuade People to be Environmentally Friendly represents a meeting point of public education, campaigning, psychology and marketing. It shows that with new approaches and a degree of imagination and creativity, the green movement in its widest sense could have much greater success in promoting environmentally friendly behaviours in all lifestyle areas.
This well received analysis of how the green movement interacts with Joe and Joanne Public was carried out in 2005 by Green-Engage Communications in conjunction with Transport 2000, WWF-UK, Friends of the Earth, Green Alliance, Sustain, Passion for the Planet Radio and grownupgreen. The report has 31 recommendations for change, drawn from the views and vision of around 60 key thinkers in environmental communication, policy and politics - including past and present frontbench politicians - plus informal public opinion research and a review of contemporary academic research. In a foreword to the report, Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee argues that 'ordinary' people really do have the power to bring about change for a better society and do not have to feel helpless in the face of government and big business.
Painting the Town Green makes the case for communications based on an understanding of people's values and motivations together with positive marketing of green as something to aspire to. It asserts that we have to find ways to make people want to go green rather than simply presenting going green as something people should do.
The report has been sought out by three Whitehall departments, many local authorities, environmental organisations and companies selling green products or services. It has also received widespread press coverage, including in national and regional/local newspapers, environmental magazines and internal newsletters within green organisations.
Rebecca Willis, Vice-Chair of the Sustainable Development Commission, who contributed ideas to the project, says: "Attempts to involve people in the environment are not working well enough at the moment. People just aren't engaged. The reasons for this are complicated but this report unravels them and suggests some important ways forward."
George Marshall, Co-Executive Director of Climate Outreach and Information Network and Founder of Rising Tide, who also contributed his ideas, says: "At last a challenge to the clichés, jargon and worn-out tactics of environmental communications. At a time of deepening collective denial about the environment, this call for a new approach to personal engagement could not be more urgent."
The third edition of Painting the Town Green, published in August 2006, is available at £20 (post free to UK addresses) from Green-Engage Communications. To order a copy, please contact us at stephen.hounsham@green-engage.co.uk
Alternatively, download the pdf here.
Download pdf of Painting the Town Green
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