Do people respond to the climate impact of their behavior? The effect of carbon footprint information on grocery purchases
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Do people respond to the climate impact of their behavior? The effect of carbon footprint information on grocery purchases. / Fosgaard, Toke R.; Pizzo, Alice; Sadoff, Sally.
I: Environmental and Resource Economics, Bind 87, 2024, s. 1847–1886.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Do people respond to the climate impact of their behavior? The effect of carbon footprint information on grocery purchases
AU - Fosgaard, Toke R.
AU - Pizzo, Alice
AU - Sadoff, Sally
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Food production is a primary contributor to climate change, and one way to mitigate its effect is through consumption choices. Finding the most effective way to achieve emissions reduction via consumers behavioral change has recently raised policy-makers' interest but experimental evidence about this is still scarce. In this study, we examine the impact of individualized information about greenhouse gas emissions on grocery purchases. Using a randomized field experiment, we compare the effects of individualized information on the carbon footprint of grocery purchases to individualized information on grocery spending provided through a smartphone app. Compared to the spending information, the carbon footprint information decreases emissions from groceries by 27% in the first month of treatment, with 45% reductions in emissions from beef, the highest emissions food group. Treatment effects fade in the longer run along with app engagement but persist among those engaged with the app. Our results suggest that the provision of emissions information, in particular when paired with sufficient engagement, is a promising avenue for policies to turn food consumption greener.
AB - Food production is a primary contributor to climate change, and one way to mitigate its effect is through consumption choices. Finding the most effective way to achieve emissions reduction via consumers behavioral change has recently raised policy-makers' interest but experimental evidence about this is still scarce. In this study, we examine the impact of individualized information about greenhouse gas emissions on grocery purchases. Using a randomized field experiment, we compare the effects of individualized information on the carbon footprint of grocery purchases to individualized information on grocery spending provided through a smartphone app. Compared to the spending information, the carbon footprint information decreases emissions from groceries by 27% in the first month of treatment, with 45% reductions in emissions from beef, the highest emissions food group. Treatment effects fade in the longer run along with app engagement but persist among those engaged with the app. Our results suggest that the provision of emissions information, in particular when paired with sufficient engagement, is a promising avenue for policies to turn food consumption greener.
KW - C93
KW - Carbon Footprint
KW - Consumer Behavior
KW - D11
KW - D91
KW - Field Experiment
KW - Food Consumption
KW - Pro-environmental Behavior
KW - Q5
KW - Sustainable Consumption
U2 - 10.1007/s10640-024-00873-y
DO - 10.1007/s10640-024-00873-y
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85192953474
VL - 87
SP - 1847
EP - 1886
JO - Environmental and Resource Economics
JF - Environmental and Resource Economics
SN - 0924-6460
ER -
ID: 392919746