Fostering and Communicating Sustainable Lifestyles: Principles and Emerging Practices (Full Report)
This UN Environment report sets out a four-step strategy roadmap for fostering and communicating sustainable lifestyles, illustrated by 16 initiatives and campaigns from around the world. The report details eight operating principles and tips on how to apply them. The ultimate goal is to create tangible changes in the way people live their daily lives. This is the full report which includes concluding reflections; details on the principles; a workshop summary; and suggested additional resources.
This report furthers understanding of sustainable lifestyles to accelerate their widespread adoption. It offers a four step strategy roadmap for success with eight operating principles to guide the design, adaptation, and evaluation of sustainable lifestyles campaigns and initiatives as follows:
Step 1: Understand Audiences (Stakeholder-Focused: Engage in participatory, relevant, and grounded ways)
Step 2: Set Goals (Better Living: Focus on aspirations; Impact: Set clear goals and demonstrate sustainability results)
Step 3: Determine Strategies (Systemic: Consider the systemic nature of lifestyles; Dynamic Life Changes: Take advantage of life stages and transitions; Diversity: Accommodate the diversity in lifestyles; Collective Action: Show that lifestyles extend beyond individual action)
Step 4: Measure and Respond (Responsive: Learn and adapt to changing conditions).
Cases explore how sustainable lifestyle campaigns intersect with key aspects of meeting core domain needs around food, shelter, mobility, leisure time, and human connections. The report uses the principles to interpret and evaluate these cases and offers insights on how to apply key learnings.
