Environmental Education Is Not Enough, We Need A Nudge
In the past few decades, there has been an overload of information about the effect that human behavior has on the environment. Public service messages, media campaigns, and energy labels on products have all contributed to increasing public education on climate change.
And, it worked! A recent Yale study found that 69% of Americans believe that global warming poses a real threat to civilization. Yet, even though most of us believe that climate change is real, few are willing to make the necessary lifestyle changes to help mitigate it.
If we know our behavior is damaging the earth, why aren’t we changing it?
The short answer is that education is not enough to overcome the strong aversion we have to making difficult changes.
The research shows that information alone is not enough to incite change. For instance, while “flight shaming” has become a popular way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, its actual impact is minimal. In fact, a recent poll found that only 14 percent of people would be willing to stop flying if the alternative was less convenient or more expensive. Just because someone believes in climate change does not mean that they will give up their minivan for a bus pass or opt for a vegan diet. In order to make greener lifestyle choices, most people need to be enticed by behavioral “nudges.”
What is a “nudge”?
In terms of environmentalism, a “nudge” is a subtle change that makes the pro-environmental choice the convenient and easy one. There are many examples of successful environmental nudges. For example:
Recycling increases in buildings that place recycling bins on every floor of a building instead of only at the entrance.
Less energy is used when hotels automatically set the air conditioning to a sustainable temperature (77 degrees Fahrenheit).
Making sustainably sourced foods an "implied default" (in that they could be chosen by diners, and served by the wait staff most quickly) shifted up to 80% of consumers to choose a more sustainable option.
Setting multi-flow showerheads in luxury hotels to "low flow" resulted in most guests lowering their water and energy use.
In all of these instances, people are not required to adjust their behavior by much in order to make environmentally sound choices.
Does that mean that consumers can shift the responsibility to policymakers?
No. Real change requires sacrifices and behavior changes from everyone. One of the most impactful things that people can do is to realize their power as consumers. An organized shift away from companies that are harmful to the environment would make a real difference in the decisions that big businesses make.
Another important way consumers can create meaningful change is by supporting politicians who will make environmentally sound policies.
How can policy-makers use “nudges” to make real progress against climate change?
There are many ways that governments and corporations can help institute change without major inconveniences to consumers. For instance:
Utility companies can implement a default choice for renewables (opt-out) that allows customers to lower their carbon footprints without doing anything.
Supermarkets can redesign stores so that meat and dairy are displayed in less accessible areas to reduce consumption of animal products
Cities can make more bike lanes to help reduce the use of vehicles.
While education about environmental issues remains an important part of tackling climate change, it’s simply not enough. For real change to happen, consumers and policymakers must cooperate to make behavioral changes an easy, integral part of everyday life.