CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2023
| Author | Powell, Natasa |
|---|---|
| Title | The Role of Misperceptions in Fighting Climate Change |
| Summary | Fighting climate change is one of the most important tasks of our age. While producers should bear responsibility, it is also important to focus on consumer behaviour, since desired behaviours are not prevalent yet. One explanation for this is incorrect beliefs driving consumer behaviour. The existing literature has identified two misperceptions among the general public that contribute to a lack of social action. First, people seem to underestimate the severity of the issue and the difference that behavioural changes can make. Second, people seem to underestimate others’ willingness to change their behaviour. As a consequence, they might have wrong perceptions of social norms, preventing them from contributing – more – to public goods. Correcting these misperceptions often helps with changing behaviour. And, with efforts to inform consumers on the rise, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of different information campaigns. This thesis provides – to the best of my knowledge – the first systematic review of the literature examining these two misperceptions. The second misperception seems more important to correct as it more effectively brings about behavioural change. Still, I find that information interventions are not enough, and stricter policies are needed to sufficiently combat climate change. I also argue, however, that having well-informed citizens has other advantages such as increased support of climate policies. This, in turn, may also increase the acceptance of harsher measures like taxes. I conclude that information interventions to correct consumer misperceptions can be an effective tool to complement stricter policies and to help increase support for climate policies. |
| Supervisor | Köster, Mats |
| Department | Undergraduate Studies BA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2023/powell_natasa.pdf |
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