Can nudges help us get to net zero? If so, how?

Climate change is one of the existential risks of today. How can the demand side of markets be motivated to contribute to limiting greenhouse gas emissions as needed? The 6th IPCC Assessment Report features a new chapter on demand-side climate politics. It is the first time within the IPCC process that consumer behaviour – avoid, shift, improve consumption choices - is spotlighted. At the same time, in light of the war in Ukraine and unheard energy security risks, public debate and politicians’ interest have recently turned to feature behaviour change as a promising option. In this talk, I discuss the opportunities and limits of demand-side policies, specifically behavioural insights-based policies. Where do we stand? What do we know? Where is the evidence still scarce? What are the limits to using behavioural approaches in liberal societies?

 

Professor Lucia Reisch was a professor of consumer behaviour and policy at Copenhagen Business School prior to joining Cambridge Judge Business School.

Read more about the seminar and the seminar series here. Organised by the Centre for Business and Development Studies (CBDS) and CBS Sustainability.