ECO-HURDLES

Tackling climate change has reached a make-or-break moment: the commitments made in the Paris Agreement can only be delivered if we act now. In light of this, the European Commission has put forward a package of proposals to make the EU "fit for 55" and reduce net emissions by at least 55% by 2050.

A key part of this is transforming culture and society by shifting everyday consumer choices toward more environmentally sustainable options. However, although the availability and consumption of sustainable products and services has been growing, the diffusion of these sustainable practices through society has been slow, showing that early adoption of sustainable consumption practices does not sufficiently generalize to similar practices or to other consumers. Given the importance of consumer behavior in addressing climate change, and the urgency for action, accelerating the adoption of green practices is critical if Europe is to become a climate-neutral continent by 2050.

The overarching objective of this project is therefore to study why instances of environmentally sustainable behavior (also referred to as green behavior) do not always invite more instances of such behavior.  

These hurdles are studied at the intrapersonal level, looking at the downstream consequences of perceptual biases and testing consistency across different consumer domains, and at the interpersonal level, studying the barriers that may prevent consumers from following or mimicking the green behavior of others.

The project's findings will provide valuable input for defining policy and strategies that encourage environmentally sustainable consumption, and will help consumers interpret eco-information more accurately.