The Psychological Underpinnings of the Consumer Role in Energy Demand and Carbon Abatement

Siobhán McNamara and Michael Grubb

Cambridge Working Papers in Economics from Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge

Abstract: While policy targeting carbon mitigation has become a priority, the consumer has been sidelined. Within the EU standards and a carbon is price at the industrial level dominate mitigation efforts. There is little room for consumer preferences. Labels on some products do draw a demand for efficient goods, though the messages relayed vary, and the role of embedded emissions often ignored. Once purchased, the energy requirements of various goods and their energy settings are poorly understood by many. In this paper we suggest with appropriately structured policy, providing information and a nudge, that consumers have a willingness and potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Keywords: Energy Efficiency; Carbon Mitigation; Carbon Footprint; Consumer Agency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-02-24
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene, nep-env and nep-mkt
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Related works:
Working Paper: The Psychological Underpinnings of the Consumer Role in Energy Demand and Carbon Abatement (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cam:camdae:1126

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