Aligning Governmental Policy Intervention Gaps with Citizen Consumption Actions

QC 20260119

Abstract

The thesis is motivated and inspired by existing environmental policies from

global governing bodies to local municipalities and their impact on the citizens there.

However, gaps exist between policies, their interventions and the effect on citizens,

where we do not know their impacts, their explanations and how to fine-tune them.

Some environmental policies are designed and deployed built on globalised knowledge,

rather than on local insights and actions of people expected to be affected by them.

Social interventions for such policies can introduce smart devices into neighbourhoods

but they may be developed based on government’s goals rather than on citizen’s needs.

Also, economic impacts are often varied based on income characteristics of a home,

which can bring a wide distribution of unintended, unjust and unequal effects.

This thesis explores a range of policies and intervention impacts on citizen actions,

from renewable energy directives to food waste fridges and retro fitting regulations.

The policies are designed at different scales, including the United Nations (global),

EU (continental), the Netherlands (national), Amsterdam (city) and Zuid-Oost (district).

Papers 1 and 2 study sustainable neighbourhoods and renewable energy communities

using visual ethnography with citizens from a neighbourhood within Stockholm.

Papers 3, 4 and 5 study energy poverty, food insecurity and household poverty

using mixed methods with citizens from various neighbourhoods in Amsterdam.

First, results indicate self-sufficiency, community plot ratio and civic generosity are

UNEP indexes that citizens find suitable for assessing sustainability in neighbourhoods.

However, self-sufficient production of food and energy is unfeasible for all homes.

Second, results show EU renewable energy communities are aligned to these indexes.

However, they greatly depend on civic ambitions of volunteers to be implemented.

Third, Dutch policies which include energy coaching and smart device interventions

reduce gas, electricity, income spent on energy bills and ultimately, energy poverty.

However, coaching helps homes feel in control of their consumption but not warmer.

Fourth, data indicates that a community smart fridge pilot intervention reduces

supermarket food waste, treats food insecurity and increases food interactions.

However, the viability of such a technology still depends on citizens as consumers.

Finally, results show that short term energy subsidies and long-term energy retrofits,

can significantly further impact important indicators contributing to household poverty.

However, home expenditures such as rent and groceries have continued to rise too.

Thus, this thesis has 5 papers all studying policy action gaps in which they:

a) are all inspired by environmental policy ambitions from global to city scale

b) study social interventions of achieving ambitions in urban neighbourhoods

c) focus on economic needs with a range of high income to low-income homes.

d) apply a citizen-centric approach with the assistance of smart devices or cameras

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