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How do we reinforce climate action?

Authors :
Zhao, Jiaying
Radke, Jade
Chen, Frances S.
Sachdeva, Sonya
Gershman, Samuel J.
Luo, Yu
Source :
Sustainability Science; 20240101, Issue: Preprints p1-15, 15p
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Humanity has a shrinking window to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, yet climate action is still lacking on both individual and policy levels. We argue that this is because behavioral interventions have largely neglected the basic principles of operant conditioning as one set of tools to promote collective climate action. In this perspective, we propose an operant conditioning framework that uses rewards and punishments to shape transportation, food, waste, housing, and civic actions. This framework highlights the value of reinforcement in encouraging the switch to low-emission behavior, while also considering the benefit of decreasing high-emission behavior to expedite the transition. This approach also helps explain positive and negative spillovers from behavioral interventions. This paper provides a recipe to design individual-level and system-level interventions to generate and sustain low-emission behavior to help achieve net zero emissions.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
18624065 and 18624057
Issue :
Preprints
Database :
Supplemental Index
Journal :
Sustainability Science
Publication Type :
Periodical
Accession number :
ejs66058853
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-024-01486-6