New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities

My research focuses on human behaviour in relation to a range of environmental issues, such as energy use, travel mode choice and food consumption. I have a particular interest in the effectiveness of interventions to promote environmentally friendly behaviours. I also examine factors related to pro-environmental behaviours, such as attitudes, awareness and values. My work is characterised by a multidisciplinary approach, and I have closely collaborated with academics from different disciplines, such as sociologists, economists and environmental scientists.

Before joining the Centre for Sustainable Cities, I was part of the research group on Lifestyles, Vales and the Environment (RESOLVE) at the University of Surrey, UK, where I undertook empirical work looking at the effect of information on people’s attitudes towards food consumption.

Prior to that, I conducted my PhD at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. In my dissertation, I examine the effectiveness of tailored information, goal setting and feedback to promote household energy savings. It also set out to theoretically examine which factors are related to household energy use, willingness to reduce energy use, and actual energy savings.