Shaping an eco-Kuwait: from policies to practice

Kuwait faces critical environmental challenges driven by high per capita energy consumption, car-dominated urban development, and fossil fuel dependency. Despite national commitments to carbon neutrality by 2060, there remains a significant gap between policy intentions and real-world implementation. This research investigates the intersections of governance, user behaviour, and policy-practice mediation across the housing, energy, and transport sectors. By employing a mixed methods approach that integrates stakeholder engagement, comparative policy analysis, and the proposal of policy-practice mediation tools, the study aims to bridge policy and behavioural gaps. It highlights the role of data in accessing, informing, and monitoring policies and behaviours, and proposes stronger, dedicated institutions, a rethinking of energy subsidies, the adoption of bottom-up and participatory approaches, and the use of social media platforms for advocacy, communication, and the promotion of sustainable lifestyles. These interventions can contribute to advancing Kuwait’s sustainable transition through context-specific, evidence-based, inclusive, and scalable policy measures.