‘Nudges’ are needed to help people make greener choices
Consumers can be encouraged to help the world hit climate targets, say experts
SIMPLE “nudges” such as putting more veggie options on the menu can help people make greener choices, scientists said as the UN published a new report on climate solutions.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report, which warns the world is well off track to curb dangerous warming and calls for deep and immediate emissions cuts, highlights ways people can make a difference.
It says consumers can be encouraged and supported to make green choices in eating more plant-based diets, heating their homes, taking up walking and cycling or driving electric cars and using repairable products.
But governments have a responsibility to make it easy for people to take steps to reduce emissions, scientists said. Putting housing and jobs close to each other in cities, and investing in public transport, cycle lanes and pedestrian areas, can help cut emissions as people take alternatives to getting in a private car, the report says.
It also says that addressing how people buy and use goods and services that publicly show off their status, and focusing on wellbeing can support climate action.
Prof Pete Smith, from the University of Aberdeen, said that moving towards healthy sustainable diets – with lower meat in them – would greatly reduce emissions from the food sector, which accounts for up to 30% of pollution.
He pointed to a recent study from researchers in Oxford, which showed that putting more vegetarian and vegan options on the menu resulted in more selection of those choices.
He said: “So if there’s just one out of the four then it’s seen as the vegan or vegetarian option, but if there’s a choice of two or three out of four, it’s just seen as another meal choice and that can nudge people without pushing people in one direction or another.
“It just normalises the choice of plant-based foods in your selection of food. So we know there are nudges available that could make that happen, and I think governments could and should take them more seriously.”
Prof Catherine Mitchell, from Exeter University, said people had a huge part to play in meeting the challenges of the climate crisis, but there were many areas where governments had to put in things in place to ensure they could.
She pointed to home energy efficiency where people might be keen to make their home very cosy, which cuts emissions and helps with fuel poverty, but they might not be able to afford to that.
“We shouldn’t be always be putting responsibility onto particular segments of society, it is also government as much as anyone else who has the responsibility to do that.”
Dr Jo House, from the University of Bristol, said: “One of the things that gives me hope is how many people want to change, but they can’t don’t necessarily have the capacity to because they don’t have the technologies available or they can’t afford them.”
So there was a need to make choices available to people so that they can take the decisions that they want to take, but in a sustainable and affordable way, she said.
And Prof Patrick Devine-Wright, from Exeter University, said wealthy, high status individuals contributed disproportionately to higher emissions but could cut them while maintaining a high standard of living.
He said there were people with high socio-economic status who could become role models of low carbon lifestyles, choosing to invest in low carbon businesses and lobbying for stringent climate policies.