Understanding multi-level drivers of behaviour change

The research identifies 14 key drivers of improved cookstove adoption in Kenya across individual, social, and structural levels. Using CIB analysis, the authors developed four consistent future scenarios to illustrate how these drivers interact. Findings highlight that while individual factors like trust in local partners and the aspirational value of stoves are critical, structural elements such as government policy and the role of the private sector significantly shape the sector's trajectory. The paper argues that a systemic, multi-level perspective is essential for designing effective policy interventions to increase clean cooking uptake.

• Individual adoption of improved cookstoves is driven by a mix of rational and emotional factors; while purchase decisions are often based on saving money, fuel, or aesthetic appeal, the actual transition to new cooking practices is determined by emotions, expectations, and situational factors like ease of use.
• Social relations and implementer strategies significantly impact adoption rates, with payment instalments reducing financial barriers and providing better access to technical support, while a 'social multiplier effect' allows implementers to scale by encouraging existing users to recruit peers.
• The Kenyan clean cookstove sector is characterized as a 'nascent innovation system' with primary weaknesses including a lack of strategic direction, low legitimacy among government and consumers, and weak knowledge accumulation.
• CIB analysis reveals that certain drivers are more influential than others across the system; financial incentives, information channels, the leading actor in the agenda, and the role of the Kenyan government are the most influential drivers.
• The analysis suggests that individual behavioural drivers have a stronger influence on peer effects (social level) than they do on societal structures (structural level).
• The study generated four diverse but systemically consistent scenarios for the next five years, ranging from a private-sector-led thriving market with high female financial autonomy to a government- and international-institution-led model with user-centred products.
• A recurring discrepancy in the consistent scenarios is that despite high trust in local partners, co-designed products, and strong user communities, peer recruitment remains passive in all identified stable outcomes.

APA

Lambe, F., Carlsen, H., Jürisoo, M., Weitz, N., Atteridge, A., Wanjiru, H., & Vulturius, G. (2018). Understanding multi-level drivers of behaviour change. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/181221a-gill-lambe-kenya-cookstove-analysis-1811h.pdf

Chicago

Lambe, Fiona, Henrik Carlsen, Marie Jürisoo, Nina Weitz, Aaron Atteridge, Hannah Wanjiru, and Gregor Vulturius. Understanding multi-level drivers of behaviour change. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2018. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/181221a-gill-lambe-kenya-cookstove-analysis-1811h.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lambe |first1=Fiona |last2=Carlsen |first2=Henrik |last3=Jürisoo |first3=Marie |last4=Weitz |first4=Nina |last5=Atteridge |first5=Aaron |last6=Wanjiru |first6=Hannah |last7=Vulturius |first7=Gregor |title=Understanding multi-level drivers of behaviour change |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=December 2018 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/181221a-gill-lambe-kenya-cookstove-analysis-1811h.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lambe2018understanding, author = {Lambe, Fiona and Carlsen, Henrik and Jürisoo, Marie and Weitz, Nina and Atteridge, Aaron and Wanjiru, Hannah and Vulturius, Gregor}, title = {{Understanding multi-level drivers of behaviour change}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2018}, month = dec, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/181221a-gill-lambe-kenya-cookstove-analysis-1811h.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }