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Center for Behavior & the Environment | Rare

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Center for Behavior & the Environment
Climate change. Coastal overfishing. Biodiversity loss. The most pressing environmental challenges of our time share one thing in common—to solve them, people must start behaving differently.
  • Behavioral science
  • Climate action

About

The Center for Behavior & the Environment translates science into practice and leverages the best behavioral insights and design thinking approaches to tackle some of the most challenging environmental issues. Through partnerships with leading academic and research institutions, we are bringing the research into the field to connect the next generation of behavioral scientists with practitioners on the front lines of our greatest environmental challenges.

The BE.Center is producing useful, sharp, and illuminating guidance that can really make a difference in solving big challenges for people and the planet.

Cass Sunstein, Harvard University, Author of Nudge

Spotlight

Contest
Water Pollution & Behavior Change
Meet the winners
Video
Behavior Change for the Environment
Watch video
Video
Theory of Cooperative Behavior Adoption

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Visit our blog “In Rare Form”


Behavior Change for the Environment Starts Here

Explore our virtual community of changemakers

  • Learn

    Delve into cutting edge research from frontlines of behavioral science and the environment, so you can make the greatest impact possible

    Learn more
  • Design

    Explore 'behavior centered design' tools, resources and reports specifically developed for conservationists, environmental advocates, students, scholars and policymakers

    Learn more
  • Connect

    Get customized in-person training in 'behavior centered design' for your organization and incorporate behavioral insights into your programming or request specialized advice from our in-house experts. Grow a behaviorally informed environmental field, together, so nature and humans thrive

    Learn more

Solution Search

Solution Search Contest winnersSolution Search is a worldwide contest designed to source, reward, and promote innovative conservation solutions.

Solutions to some of the world’s greatest conservation and development challenges already exist in local communities around the globe. Rare seeks to spotlight bright spots—conservation solutions that use a behavior-centered approach—so practitioners can expand their impact as they replicate proven success.

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Campaigning for Conservation

Campaigning for Conservation is a 10-day hands-on training.

The training is for full-time, field-based outreach staff and designed to build their constituencies’ understanding of and support for conservation and behavior change. Using best-in-class training exercises, participants learn to develop and implement a social marketing campaign designed to address the social and environmental challenges facing their communities. The training equips participants with a global theory of behavior change, social marketing tactics, quantitative and qualitative research techniques, and effective campaign design for local challenges.

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Advisory Council

Juan Camilo Cárdenas
Associate Professor, Department of Economics – Universidad de los Andes
Steve Gaines
Dean, Bren School of Environmental Science & Management - UC Santa Barbara
Adam Grant
Professor of Management and Psychology – Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania
Christopher Graves
President & Founder - The Ogilvy Center for Behavioral Science
Sarah Stein Greenberg
Executive Director of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (the d.school) - Stanford University
Rob Heinrich
Clinical Psychologist and Trustee - The Harold M. and Adeline S. Morrison Family Foundation
Roberta Katz
Senior Research Scholar, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences - Stanford University
Aileen Lee
Chief Program Officer, Environmental Conservation - Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Pamela Matson
Professor in Environmental Studies and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute - Stanford University
Kent Messer
Co-Director, Center for Behavioral & Experimental Agri-Environmental Research and Unidel Howard Cosgrove Chair for the Environment - University of Delaware
Georgia Pessoa
Head of Environment - Roberto Marinho Foundation
David Rand
Co-Director, Applied Cooperation Team and Associate Professor of Management Science and Brain and Cognitive Sciences - MIT
Alleyne Regis
Behavior Change Communications Specialist Castries, St. Lucia
Lucia Reisch
Professor, Department of Management, Society and Communication – Copenhagen Business School
Rocky Sanchez Tirona
Managing Director, Fish Forever
Elke Weber
Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment and Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs - Princeton University
Erez Yoeli
Co-Director, Applied Cooperation Team and Research Scientist - MIT

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