1. Nudging climate action: exploring the impact of active default choices on renewable energy program participation.
- Author
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Peterson, Ted and Tollefson, Kacey
- Subjects
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CHOICE (Psychology) , *NUDGE theory , *RENEWABLE energy sources , *CLIMATE change mitigation , *NATURAL gas consumption - Abstract
This paper explores decision-making in the context of active default choices, i.e., choices made when no alternative is presented. Using data from a UT energy study, the paper examines how active defaults influence participation in a hypothetical green renewable energy utility program. The study analyzes collective effects and considers demographic and psychographic factors. Significant impacts on default choices and framing were observed for attributes like age, political preference, years at current residence, perception of home efficiency, natural gas consumption, and importance of saving energy. The research demonstrates that specific demographic attributes are more susceptible to nudging effects when presented with a climate-change-related program, but scenarios with "opt-out" framing alone yielded the most significant results across all attributes. Consequently, the paper recommends that policymakers and utility firms proposing renewable energy programs use an "opt-out" default choice for certain demographic groups to enhance receptivity and participation. The study's average of 46% willingness to participate in a more expensive utility renewable energy program suggests a need for further investigation into the link between hypothetical willingness and actual follow-through. Ultimately, the findings underscore the potential benefits of default choices and nudging effects in addressing climate change-related issues among stakeholders seeking to mitigate environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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