Methodology

We will proceed in three steps in our research:

1. We assess the state of research on sustainable energy behaviour, particularly the barriers faced by consumers, and develop a common theoretical framework for our studies that integrates institutional and individual factors.
2. We assess the barriers and strategies to overcome these from different perspectives:
   • Qualitative interviews with strategic stakeholders in the involved countries: Norway, UK, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Hungary and France;
   • Representative quantitative surveys among consumers in the countries involved in the project. This consumer survey will build upon the special Euro-barometer on Attitudes towards Energy , published in January 2006;
   • Qualitative strategic focus groups among targeted consumer groups in the same countries. (Strategic groups are here people with different windows of opportunities and people with different social background.)
3. We integrate these empirical studies to better understand the barriers and recommend strategies to overcome these barriers.