Households produce a large share of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, whether by consuming energy at home or burning fuel to travel. This makes individual actions crucial in mitigating climate change, but how can policy makers encourage more responsible behavior? Chicago Booth’s Michael Weber and his coresearchers sought to explore one possible avenue through a randomized trial, assigning respondents of a national survey in Germany to one of four treatment groups that received information from peer or expert sources about the impact of emissions on climate change and the ways people can reduce their carbon footprint. All four groups reported a greater willingness to act—in this case, to spend on carbon offsets—relative to a fifth group, a control that received no information on climate change. The researchers find that information framed as coming from peers created the strongest effect. To learn more, read “Peer Pressure Can Help Fight Climate Change.”
Illustration by Peter Arkle
Research examines people’s willingness to cut ties with companies whose actions they deem immoral or unethical.
How Much Will Consumers Sacrifice for a Moral Stand?
Benefactors don’t want anyone to question their motives.
To Encourage Donations, Make People Publicize Their Charity
A summer camp offers lessons on how to form close relationships with members of other groups.
How to Forge Relationships with the ‘Enemy’Your Privacy
We want to demonstrate our commitment to your privacy. Please review Chicago Booth's privacy notice, which provides information explaining how and why we collect particular information when you visit our website.