We highlight 10 techniques based on psychological and social theories that have been used to encourage more sustainable behavior. Achieving Net Zero by will require the full complement of tools to change behavior and the wider economy, from blunt instruments like regulations, tariffs, and taxes, to softer methods of persuasion like the ones outlined above.
These techniques are not about manipulation or coercion, but rather about engaging people and providing information in a compelling way.
As the above-mentioned examples show, deploying these techniques can judiciously effect meaningful changes in behavior and nudge people into more sustainable habits, while respecting their autonomy. Fogg, B. Mulcahy, R. The three mini games focused on fan temperature settings, turning off lights and appliances, and washing full loads of laundry, respectively, awarding points for sustainable behavior. Each game also provided additional sustainability tips that users could enact in their home to nudge users beyond the behaviors encouraged in the mini games.
Hoffmann, S. Journal of Cleaner Production. Oltra, C. Environ Monit Assess Wells, C. One App Can Do Both. Too Good To Go. Impact Report. Thoma, S. Frontiers in Virtual Reality Potenza, A. The Verge. In , researchers assembled a dataset of residential solar panel installations between and in three investor-owned utility regions in California.
To test for the effect of peer influence, researchers accounted for other factors such as a feedback loop or homophily and concluded that each new installation of solar panels in California raised the daily probability of another installation in the same zip code by 0. In , a study found similar peer effects when looking at Connecticut. Graziano, M. Journal of Economic Geography. Bollinger, B. Marketing Science. Goldstein, N. Journal of Consumer Research.
