Breakout Group Basics
Some “essential questions” to open the conversation
- What are the obstacles that business and private citizens have in reducing energy use in buildings?
- Perceptions that it costs too much upfront
- Perception that “what I do does not matter”
- Social norms have been shown to be very powerful in changing behavior. How might we create a social norm in Needham around energy efficiency?
- Ideas for reducing the upfront costs have included leveraging private and public resources.
- Could financial institutions be encouraged/incented to invest more in this area?
- Might we consider public approaches such as enabling residents to pay for improvements through their property tax bill or providing a revolving loan fund at the municipal level?
Facilitators
- Elsa Cutler, Olin College
- Harrison Smith, Needham High School
Resources
Topical Resources
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