Carbon footprint tracking apps: The spillover effects of feedback and goal-activating appeals

B-Tier
Journal: Ecological Economics
Year: 2024
Volume: 226
Issue: C

Authors (4)

Lasarov, Wassili (not in RePEc) Hoffmann, Stefan (not in RePEc) Mai, Robert (not in RePEc) Schleich, Joachim (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft)

Score contribution per author:

0.503 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Innovative information technology such as a Carbon Footprint Tracking App can contribute to achieve global climate targets like the 2 °C target of the Paris Agreement. This is particularly relevant for countries with strong socio-economic development, which often have high individual carbon footprints but also possess the technological advancements to help mitigate these emissions. This paper explores how carbon footprint feedback and goal-oriented appeals affect consumers' carbon emissions. Focusing on interventions in the food and mobility domains, this research distinguishes the impact of self-related and society-related goals across these focal domains and examines spillover effects on heating and other household activities. Using a Carbon Footprint Tracking App in a longitudinal experimental study with 210 participants over three waves, the following key findings emerge. First, goal activation affects carbon emissions differently across consumption domains. Second, while the obtained evidence points to spillover across domains, the appeals' effectiveness within the same domain is contingent on individual goal prioritization. In particular, behavioral interventions need to target specific goals within each domain, particularly normative and moral goals in the food domain, and hedonic and cost-related goals in the mobility domain.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:ecolec:v:226:y:2024:i:c:s0921800924002519
Journal Field
Environment
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-29