Engaging Communities in Energy Transitions: A Study on Attitudes Towards Sustainable Heating Technologies and the Role of Peer Effects in Southern Chile

Boris Álvarez, Àlex Boso, Ignacio Rodríguez-Rodríguez () and Josep Espluga-Trenc
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Boris Álvarez: Doctorado en Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810101, Chile
Àlex Boso: Departamento de Medio Ambiente, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Ignacio Rodríguez-Rodríguez: Departamento de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810101, Chile
Josep Espluga-Trenc: Departamento de Sociología, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-17

Abstract: This study investigates the role of peer effects in shaping the adoption of sustainable heating systems in two highly polluted communes in Southern Chile. Despite policies promoting cleaner alternatives, wood-burning stoves, a major source of particulate matter emissions, remain widespread. This research work addresses a critical gap in the literature by examining how peer influence—typically studied in relation to visible technologies like solar panels or electric vehicles—affects the adoption of less visible but essential sustainable heating technologies. The main objective of this study is to understand how peer networks can influence the attitudes of residents towards sustainable heating technologies in highly polluted urban environments. Employing a non-experimental, cross-sectional design with a sample of 244 participants, this study reveals that peer effects and health risk perception are significant predictors of positive attitudes towards sustainable heating systems. These findings contribute valuable insights for policymakers seeking to accelerate energy transitions in polluted regions.

Keywords: air pollution; peer effect; sustainable energy; wood-burning stoves; risk perception; pollution perception (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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