Making Shift Happen: Designing for Successful Environmental Behavior Change

The changemaker's guide to catalyzing environmental behaviour change for a healthy future

To tackle our urgent environmental problems and achieve positive, durable change, we must design solutions based directly on how people think, make decisions, and act.

From hotels that save water and money using simple signage, to energy suppliers that boost participation in renewable energy programs through mere enrollment form tweaks―shifting the behavior of millions for the better is possible.

Based on decades of research into what drives behavior change, Making Shift Happen provides a suite of powerful tools to transform the world. It features A to Z guidance on how to design a behavior change initiative―from choosing the right audience and uncovering what drives their behavior, to designing, prototyping, testing, and implementation.

Clear instructions and real-world examples empower you to apply hundreds of behavioral science solutions including:

• Using social norms to spread positive environmental behaviors
• Selecting and testing stories, metaphors, and values to frame information for each audience
• Catalyzing action by aligning your initiative with your audience's personal and social motivators
• Breaking bad habits and building positive ones
• Capturing your audience's attention and reducing barriers to action
• Connecting people with nature and building empathy for the environment and its inhabitants.

Making Shift Happen is a must-have guide for practitioners in non-profits, governments, and businesses looking to design successful campaigns and initiatives that shift behaviors and mindsets toward positive environmental outcomes and a better future for all.

AWARDS

• GOLD | 2023 Nautilus Book Awards | Social Sciences & Education

Nya Van Leuvan, MA, founder and director of Root Solutions, is a leader in designing and executing programs that accelerate social change by shifting human behavior. She holds a Masters from the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA.

Lauren Highleyman, MS, is a communications and behavior change strategist with experience designing and implementing engaging initiatives across environmental issue areas. She holds a Masters in Natural Resources and Environment with a specialization in Environmental Behavior, Education, and Communication. She lives in Marin County, CA.

Rod Fujita, PhD, is a leader in the theory and practice of conserving natural ecosystems and improving the welfare of the people who depend on them. He co-founded Root Solutions and also co-founded Environmental Defense Fund's Oceans Program, where he has been working on ocean conservation issues around the world for more than 30 years. He lives in Oakland,CA.

Ashleigh Kellerman is a Senior Associate at Root Solutions where she focuses on framing and messaging for improved environmental communication and behavior change. She is an alumna of UC Berkeley with a background in Psychology and Economics. She lives in Berkeley, CA.