Research project S4P/25/BE-SHIFT (Research action S4P)
BE-SHIFT aims to support Belgium’s transition to climate neutrality by 2050, emphasizing "sobriety" as a cornerstone of this effort, and positioning the country as a frontrunner in this policy domain. The project investigates the psycho-social drivers that must be activated to promote and accelerate the implementation of policies and measures (PaMs) essential for this transition. From a systemic perspective, BE-SHIFT seeks to generate valuable insights into how PaMs should be effectively designed and implemented to foster sufficiency across key sectors. The analysis also includes an assessment of readiness levels, identifying which PaMs can be implemented more rapidly or which may require societal changes and support before deployment.
To identify the most relevant sectors (e.g., mobility) where sufficiency can be activated and their associated interventions (e.g., modal shift) for Belgium, BE-SHIFT leverages the expertise of a diverse pool of experts within the consortium. These experts cover a range of domains, incl. housing, mobility, diet, and material use. For each selected sector, the project will focus on understanding behavioural change and social dynamics to identify and quantify the psycho-sociological levers that influence the implementation of sufficiency measures. To capture the data needed to understand these sufficiency dynamics, the project combines citizen engagement through surveys and panels to evaluate the social acceptability of proposed sobriety measures, the creation of sufficiency lifestyle profiles to categorize and analyse behavioural patterns, and the use of fuzzy cognitive mapping to quantify the psycho-sociological levers impacting sufficiency policies. By developing a systemic view of each intervention field, BE-SHIFT will enable the simulation of scenarios that activate key socio-behavioural drivers such as social pressure, knowledge literacy or risk aversion. These simulations will reveal the context and interplay of these elements, providing policymakers with actionable insights on which aspects to target and how best to intervene for long-lasting and effective implementation of associated PaMs. Finally, the TIB3R energy system model will be used to evaluate the long-term impact of sobriety policies on greenhouse gas emissions and energy demand for Belgium. This approach will integrate qualitative insights with quantitative modelling to define actionable, sector-specific policies that align with Belgium’s climate goals.
This approach ensures that policymakers have a comprehensive understanding of the actions and systemic and long-term changes required to support sufficiency measures effectively, enabling informed and impactful decision-making.
A key output of BE-SHIFT will be the development of a potential mix of PaMs, designed to assist policymakers in identifying and implementing viable strategies. This mix will be supplemented by a detailed report that outlines the levers and triggers necessary to overcome barriers to the successful implementation of sufficiency policies. The core of the project lies on its robust strategy to identify psycho-social levers and related sufficiency profiles, integrating systemic analysis to understand the dynamics between these. This ensures that the analysis not only identifies theoretical barriers but also provides effective PaMs tailored to the context of each intervention.
