The context of consumer choice
Implications of theories of behaviour change for public campaigns
Dear folks,
for this inaugural guest post, I present to you Neil Kitching, whose recent book Carbon Choices has a similar objective as this newsletter: to translate insights from science and make them more broadly accessible.
Would you also like to contribute a post? Feel free to propose your own topic, but at least I’m looking for pieces on extractive technologies, district heating, financing energy transitions, clean transport and, as I mentioned last time, from East Asia (that’s not code for China, but yes, China in particular as well). I welcome experimental forms too 🎭. Send me your idea!
Enjoy!
Broadly, the emissions our carbon intensive lifestyles produce can be divided into three categories.
Emissions that new technology can tackle such as electric cars and the change from burning coal to renewable sources to generate our electricity. These are the ‘easy’ emissions to tackle as they do not require significant behaviour change.
Emissions that inevitably result from the physical infrastructure which society has built over decades and from the financial structure of subsidies and taxes which government places on goods and services. For example, building out of town shopping centres inevitably leads to more road traffic, whilst subsidies for fossil fuels result in higher use. In effect, the system and the available infrastructure constrain the choices that we make. It takes time, normally decades to change this infrastructure.
Emissions where our individual choices can make a difference. For example, we can choose what goods we buy, what diet we eat and whether to fly long distances. However, we know we are influenced by peer pressure. So, what choice do we actually have? For answers, let’s turn to theories of behaviour change.
Nudge, nudge, eyes opened?
‘Nudge’ theory suggests that small changes in the physical environment can influence behaviour, at least if we do not have strong views about a matter. Supermarkets are in a powerful position to nudge us towards making more environmentally friendly purchases. Through so called 'choice editing', supermarkets choose to highlight and promote certain products over others. Supermarkets like to place sweets at checkouts to encourage impulse purchases [i].
But organic chicken could also be placed favourably versus factory farmed chicken. Nudges are used by policy makers and frontline service delivery. For example, my dentist now sends me a text message on the day of my appointment and has told me that this simple action has substantially reduced no-shows.
Nudges work where they tap into underlying norms and values [ii]. We know that eating sweets is bad for us and we do not want to miss our dentist appointment. But nudges are unlikely to be powerful enough alone to persuade us to make substantial changes.
Still, take eating meat. Beef, mutton and dairy products have a disproportionate environmental and climate impact yet despite years of campaigning the growth of veganism is slow - there are too many cultural hurdles to overcome. People have strong views on the matter. Yet, simple changes have been shown to make a difference [iii]. If restaurants replace meat-dominated menus with one with prominent vegetarian or vegan options, this will influence their choices. Similarly, at workplace conferences the default is to serve a meat based main meal unless somebody requests a vegetarian dish. However, from my own experience, at the Scottish Environmental Awards everyone was served a vegetarian dish, unless they had specifically requested a meat-based dish. Not only did this reduce the amount of meat consumed, it also initiated conversations around vegetarianism and veganism.
Peer Pressure – Talk of the Town
Speaking of having conversations, observing and speaking with your neighbours can be a powerful force for action. In California, a study of the spread of roof-top solar panels found that the strongest factor was whether someone else in your street had already installed them [iv]. It was not important whether you were a Democrat, or a Republican with a higher likelihood of climate change scepticism. Talking to your neighbours was more powerful than any preconceived attitudes.
Changes happening today include the increase in vegetarianism and veganism and a reduction in flying in some countries due to ‘flight shaming’. The impact of Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish climate change activist, seems to have reversed the long-term growth in the number of flights taken in Sweden. Passenger numbers through Swedish airports fell by 4% in 2019, before the impact of Covid-19.
Behaviour changes and peer pressure can certainly impact on our demand for flights, but it will be difficult to dramatically reduce demand just through peer pressure. Video conferencing can reduce the need for some business flights, but makes it easier to trade overseas, which may result at some point in travel which a lot of people see as a perk of their job. And, more people now live and work abroad, often laying down roots, with the result that families understandably travel long distances to visit their loved ones. Peer pressure may have its greatest impact on less ‘essential’ flights such as weekend hen and stag parties to Europe. Thus, environmental charity Hubbub launched the ‘Why Wing It’ campaign in early 2020 to encourage more people to choose staycations. [v]
Implications
Peer pressure and ‘keeping up with the neighbours’ is powerful force. On-line bloggers or ‘influencers’ make money by wielding this power. Right now though, most are paid to promote short-life fashion items. Could we reverse this towards frugal consumption or consumption that will enhance our real quality of life? Towards investing in high-quality long-lasting goods or triple glazing and solar panels for your house, for example?
We need to use all the skills and techniques that marketing people have developed and perfected over the last hundred years – led by companies like Singer sewing machines [vi] - to successfully persuade us to buy more, bigger, faster, newer, fashionable - but to reverse this to buy less, better quality, compact and functional, useful and meaningful, and long lasting.
Documentary about minimalist living that also acts as a cultural critique of sorts that would befit a Degrowth manifesto. Directed by Matt d’Avella, a big name in ‘Minimalist YouTube’, a whole subgenre of lifestyle video’s on the platform (d’Avella: 3+ million subscribers).
This concept is already being led by campaigners such as Ellen MacArthur who gained the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe in 2005. On that voyage she realised that the world is finite and learnt to minimise her use of resources. Subsequently she went on to found the Ellen MacArthur foundation [vii] to support the ‘circular economy’ principles of designing out waste, keeping products in use and to regenerate natural systems.
About Neil
Geographer and energy specialist Neil Kitching has recently published Carbon Choices: on the common-sense solutions to our climate and nature crises.
Carbon Choices identifies ten building blocks: sensible economics, regulations, design, innovation, investment, education and behaviour change. These building blocks help us build a low carbon economy. Governments can set the policy direction and sensible regulations, businesses can respond and provide innovative low carbon products and services, and consumers will have the knowledge to make better carbon choices.
Amidst all the bad news, there are grounds for hope - this popular science book concludes with a green action plan for government, business and individuals.
🙏👋
Sources
[i] https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002712
[ii] Doughnut Economics, Kate Raworth, 2017 (p.125)
[iii] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336145612_Impact_of_increasing_vegetarian_availability_on_meal_selection_and_sales_in_cafeterias
[iv] https://www.vox.com/2014/10/24/7059995/solar-power-is-contagious-neighbor-effects-panels-installation
[v] https://www.hubbub.org.uk/WhyWingIt
[vi] Selling the sewing machine around the world: Singer’s international marketing strategies, 1850-1914, http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/files/business/emdp422.pdf
[vii] https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/what-is-the-circular-economy