Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/25720 
Year of Publication: 
2008
Series/Report no.: 
Jena Economic Research Papers No. 2008,035
Publisher: 
Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Max Planck Institute of Economics, Jena
Abstract: 
This paper focuses on how consumer motivation can be tapped in order to encourage the adoption of cleaner technologies. Consumers are heterogeneous they may be guided by intrinsic motivation or extrinsic motivation. While information provision policies (such as the energy label for cars) may be effective in encouraging certain consumers to adopt green cars, financial incentive schemes (such as subsidies or fines) may be more persuasive for extrinsically-motivated consumers. We develop a dynamic theory of adoption of environmental innovations, in which information-provision policies are followed by financial incentives (first ‘carrot’, then ‘stick’ incentives). Analysis of a survey dataset of Swiss households observes considerable heterogeneity in terms of support of information-provision or financial incentive policies, in line with our conjectures. Our results will be of particular interest to policymakers interested in guiding consumers towards cleaner technologies.
Subjects: 
Environmental policy
technology adoption
technology diffusion
intrinsic motivation
financial incentives.
JEL: 
Q53
Q57
O33
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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