Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/223868 
Year of Publication: 
2020
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 13426
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Though many in the general public are concerned about climate change, most are unaware that agriculture and food production accounts for about one quarter of aggregate green house emissions and therefore, diet change is one of the most effective ways that individuals can reduce their climate impact. To investigate how best to communicate this, we present the results of a pre-registered randomised control trial, involving 1220 subjects, exploring six different information interventions. Our findings indicate that the most influential interventions are based on scientific knowledge and efficacy salience. These effects are mediated by prior beliefs and individual characteristics. Providing information on the health impact of a plant-based diet was most effective for individuals with pre-existing health concerns. The greatest resistance to this information was associated with motivated reasoning around meat consumption: the more meat a participant consumed the less they reported knowing about the relationship between diet and climate before the study, the more resistant they were to new information demonstrating that relationship, the lower their efficacy beliefs around climate change, and the more likely they were to take moral offence at being informed. Our results suggest that while many people are open to dietary change and are responsive to scientific evidence, the largest potential for impact between diet and climate may be in overcoming pre-existing biases associated with sacred values around meat consumption.
Subjects: 
self efficacy
decit model of science communication
nudge
interventions
environment
agriculture
vegan
vegetarian
diet
climate change
motivated reasoning
cognitive dissonance
strategic ignorance
social norms
JEL: 
Q54
D91
I12
C90
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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