Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials testing behavioural interventions to promote household action on climate change
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No consensus exists regarding which are the most effective mechanisms to promote household action on climate change. We present a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials comprising 3,092,678 observations, which estimates the effects of behavioural interventions holding other factors constant. Here we show that behavioural interventions promote climate change mitigation to a very small degree while the intervention lasts ( d = −0.093 95% CI −0.160, −0.055), with no evidence of sustained positive effects once the intervention ends. With the exception of recycling, most household mitigation behaviours show a low behavioural plasticity. The intervention with the highest average effect size is choice architecture (nudges) but this strategy has been tested in a limited number of behaviours. Our results do not imply behavioural interventions are less effective than alternative strategies such as financial incentives or regulations, nor exclude the possibility that behavioural interventions could have stronger effects when used in combination with alternative strategies.
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Improve options in buildings may reduce GHG emissions combined by 50% (30-70%).
“Improve options, such as energy-efficient appliances, insulation and prosumer renewables on rooftops, may similarly reduce GHG emissions, combined, by 50% (30-70%) 42,46,47 .”
From Demand-side solutions to climate change mitigation consistent with high levels of well-being (2022) · cites this paper as [46]
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- Authors
- Nisa, C. F., Bélanger, J. J., Schumpe, B. M., & Faller, D. G.
- Affiliations
- New York University Abu Dhabi (AE)
- Corresponding author
- Nisa, Claudia F.
- Venue
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2019-10-04
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 4545-4545
- ISSN
- 2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6778105
- OpenAlex
- W2978033587
- Cited by
- 349
- References
- 68
- Citations by year
- 2026: 43 · 2025: 63 · 2024: 59 · 2023: 61 · 2022: 53 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 3.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- York University
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Environmental Education and Sustainability
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Climate Change Communication and Perception
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Keywords
- behavioral interventions, nudging, choice architecture, recycling, behavioral plasticity, intervention effectiveness, sustainable behavior, financial incentives, environmental regulation
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Family Characteristics, Humans, Motivation, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Behavior Control, Information Dissemination, Climate Change, Recycling
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