Download NUDGE

 NUDGING FÖR ATT RÄDDA
KLIMATET
(nudging to save the climate)
Eva Heiskanen
Guest Professor, IIIEE Lund
Research Director, Consumer Society Research Centre, University of Helsinki
WHAT IS NUDGE?
NUDGE ISN’T NEW
NUDGE IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE…
CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION NEEDS NUDGE
EVIDENCE OF RESULTS – BUT NOT HUGE ONES
NUDGE SHOULD BE INTEGRATED
SOME IDEAS…
NUDGE IN A NUTSHELL
“... any aspect of the choice architecture* that alters people’s behaviour in a predictable
way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives….
Putting the fruit at eye level counts as a nudge. Banning junk food does not”.
*aspect of the social/physical environment that makes a particular option more attractive, preferred or even the default choice
Thaler, RH & Sunstein CR (2008) Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness, New Haven, CT., Yale University Press.
NUDGE ISN’T NEW
• We have used behavioural science – in particular in
energy conservation – since the 1970s
• Many nudge ideas like
BILLING FEEDBACK
SOCIAL LEARNING/MODELING
FRAMING
CHANGES TO THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
have been used for decades – based on research, but also
based on practical experience
BUT NUDGE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE
• Respected economists challenge the STANDARD ECONOMICS view of
rational and calculative behaviour (still dominant in policy)
• Nudge offers policy makers and administrators a CONVENIENT
PACKAGE for insights that scientists and practitioners have tried to
convey for decades
• a common name, a common method (controlled field trials) and a
common evidence-base make the message convincing
NUDGE PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES
PRINCIPLES
Philosophy of libertarian
paternalism
• Simplification and framing of
information
• Changes to the physical
environment
• Changes to the default option
• Use of (descriptive) social norms
PROCEDURES
 evidence-based
 testing of interventions in reallife context
 randomized control trials
NUDGE IS IMPORTANT
• Nudge offers evidence that IMPLEMENTATION MATTERS
• Nudge reduces POLITICAL RESISTANCE: easier to enact than binding
regulations
… while still offering a fairly effective set of instruments
… for problems like climate change and energy efficiency which remain
unsolved in spite of quite SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS!
COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE NEEDS NUDGE
Nudges are appropriate
when:
choices have delayed
effects,
when they are complex
or infrequent and thus
learning is not possible,
when feedback is not
available, and
when the relation
between choice and
outcome is unclear
Perceived complexity HIGH
YES
YES
HIGH
involvement
decision
LOW
involvement
decision
YES
?
Perceived complexity LOW
ENERGY/CLIMATE BEHAVIOURS ARE ERRORPRONE AND SUBJECT TO BIASES
• Energy behaviours largely routine
• Energy use is invisible
CO2?
• feedback delayed
• complex, ”expert domain”
• Energy use learned via social modelling rather than
’theoretically’
• energy units and measures are unfamiliar
• discourages discussion & social learning
• Large problems like climate change not solvable
through individual efforts – no feedback at all
kWh?
Evidence
Nudge mechanisms
used
Applications to
residential energy
efficiency
Evidence of effectiveness
Simplification and framing Feedback on energy
of information
consumption: Informative
energy bills, metering and
displays
Energy labelling of
appliances and buildings
Extensive research on all scales: tailored and small-scale interventions render
5-20% savings, large field trials about 2%
Changes to the physical
environment
Design for sustainable
behaviour, Design with
intent (of homes and
appliances)
Small scale trials, little evidence of the size of the effects
Prompts as reminders of
appropriate behaviour
Small scale trials, evidence of effectiveness as part of a package of
interventions
Opt-out green electricity
offers
95-99% of customers stay with the “green electricity default”
Changes to the default
option
Experience on a large scale, but limited evaluation of effects
Standard in some environments such as hotels (key card removal turns of
lights)
Opt-out from smart grid
Large effects (20%) in one survey study
trial (technology installed to
control consumption)
Use of descriptive social
norms
Social comparison billing
feedback
Large effects in small scale trials (average 11%), smaller effects in large field
trials (~ 2% savings)
SOME INDIVIDUAL NUDGES ARE QUITE
EFFECTIVE
• 95-99% of customers stay with the “green electricity default”
• Duplex printing default ~ 30%
• Smaller plates -> 20% less food waste
USUALLY THE RESULTS ARE NICE, BUT NOT HUGE!
Eco kettle only
boils as much
water as is
needed
Eco
showerdrop
tells how
much of the
recommended
35 liters you
have used
NUDGE (alone) WILL NOT SAVE THE CLIMATE
• Because making it part of policy and
practice will take a long time and
require some heavy legislation
• One of the most effective nudges
(other than defaults) that we found
reduced Pringles crisps consumption by
50% by adding 10% red Pringles
It is people and stricter policies that will save the planet
Nudge can help by offering policy makers and citizens better tools
SOME IDEAS
• Ecodesign Directive and nZEB – user/occupant behaviour can
influence actual energy performance a lot
Requirements that support/nudge easy correct operation and
use? Ecodesign for efficient behaviour?
• Empower citizens as nudge agents and support testing and
experimentation – learn to see the world through the nudge
lens, fix small things at work and in the neighbourhood
IT DOESN’T NEED TO BE EXPENSIVE
What is the
correct
thermostat
setting?
Karjalainen, S. (2009) Thermal comfort and use of thermostats in Finnish homes and offices
Building and Environment 44 (6), 1237-1245
Thanks!
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
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