Behavioral Knowledge for System Change in Amsterdam’s Energy Transition

Why this matters

Amsterdam’s energy transition depends not only on technology, infrastructure, and funding. It also depends on whether residents can and want to take part.

Many energy projects try to influence individual behavior through information, nudges, or campaigns. These approaches can help, but they are often not enough. Residents may also face barriers such as unclear rules, fragmented services, limited capacity, or poor coordination between projects.

What we are researching

This project explores how behavioral knowledge can be used earlier and more systematically in Amsterdam’s energy projects.

In the first year, the research analyzed existing municipal energy projects from a behavioral science perspective. It looked at how these projects address individual behavior, collective action, public support, and system conditions.

The next step is to turn these insights into a practical step-by-step method to develop a behavioural approach. This method will help project leads include and gain insight into citizens’ behavior and public support from the start of new energy projects.

How the research works

The method will be developed and tested with project leads in Amsterdam. The research starts by evaluating what was learned in the first year. It then looks at existing approaches, designs a concept method, applies it in one or more new projects, and improves it based on the experiences of project leads.

Expected results and impact

The project will deliver a concise method with questions and examples for different project phases. It will help project leads recognize behavioral barriers, opportunities for collective action, and system conditions that shape resident participation.

The intended impact is simple: energy projects that enable residents to change their behaviour by effectively identifying and addressing barriers and opportunities.