Abstract
There is no question that climate change threatens the very existence of the human species. Indeed, there is mounting evidence that the sixth mass extinction event is well and truly underway. Mitigating the threats imposed by a warming climate requires a dynamic and coordinated approach, including a strong international coalition embodied by the Paris Agreement, significant investment in technological innovations to redesign the way resource-intensive commodities are produced, and a renewed emphasis on shifting climate-relevant behavior toward more sustainable alternatives. The latter has been largely neglected by the international community and funding agencies. This article serves to identify the international context in which efforts to reduce emissions using behavioral science are embedded. We highlight some of the work of behavioral scientists to enhance pro-environmental behavior that will prove vital to large-scale efforts to reduce emissions. We propose a model for designing experimental evaluations of multisector community interventions to reduce emissions on large scales. Finally, we issue a call to action for behavioral scientists and community organizers to collaborate in a new age of behavioral science research to curb the climate crisis.
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Notes
Carbon taxes refer to fines levied on the carbon content of goods and services, primarily in the transport and energy sectors. In application, they entail increasing the price of carbon-heavy commodities such as electricity and gasoline. For a more thorough treatment of carbon taxes and other similar policy mechanisms, interested readers should refer to Sumner et al. (2009) and Goulder and Schein (2013).
The Coalition of Behavioral Science Organizations currently consists of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science, the Association for Positive Behavior Support, the Evolution Institute, the National Prevention Science Coalition, and the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
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Bonner, A.C., Biglan, A. Rebooting Behavioral Science to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Behav. Soc. Iss. 30, 106–120 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-021-00058-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-021-00058-y