The project aims to provide an innovative and interactive approach to identifying skills and training needs which are relevant to beginning to build effective sustainable communities. The aim is to develop a model and framework by which people and relevant organisations within communities can question or interrogate existing data, so as to find out what is needed if a community wants to make progress in terms of key aspects of sustainable consumption.Using four key areas of potential sustainable consumption (food, energy, transport, and home-based services), and built upon empirical case studies in these fields, the model will be applied to a particular community. The gaps, synergies and skills needs and opportunities between the model and the community will be identified through key interviews and community stakeholder groups. The data gathered will be loaded into the model in ways which will provide information and guidance to such communities as to the specific areas of intervention and action needed in enhancing training, skills, education and knowledge transfer, so as to upgrade sustainable consumption practices.As well as producing academic papers associated with the question of how to build more sustainable consuming places, the research will provide a model and framework for communities-leaders, professionals, stakeholder groups and others, which will identify the priority learning, skills, training objectives and knowledge transfer needs required to lead to more sustainable consumption.

semi structured interviews and focus groups