Towards systems-oriented behavioral ecological economics

Stefan Drews

Ecological Economics, 2025, vol. 227, issue C

Abstract: A growing volume of behavioral research in ecological economics has been published over the past two decades. Here I argue that a significant share of this research has adopted the approach of focusing on individual responsibility and solutions in sustainability transitions, notably in the form of so-called nudges. The paper proposes that to be consistent with the core tenets of ecological economics and to achieve more real-world impact, we need more behavioral research that takes a systems-oriented perspective. Several research lines in this direction are discussed. The systems-oriented approach may provide a distinction between behavioral ecological economics and behavioral environmental economics, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of these two fields.

Keywords: Ecological economics; Behavioral science; Nudge; Systemic approach (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:227:y:2025:i:c:s0921800924002994

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108402

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