Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/311623 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
Working Paper No. 01.2025
Publisher: 
Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM), Milano
Abstract: 
We investigate whether climate activism favors pro-environmental consumption by examining the impact of Fridays for Future (FFF) protests in Italy on second-hand automobile sales in rally-affected areas. Leveraging data on 10 million automobile transactions occurring before and after FFF mobilizations, we exploit rainfall on the day of the event as an exogenous source of attendance variation. Our findings reveal a reduction in both the total number of cars purchased and their average CO2 emissions, with an uptick in the market share of low-emission vehicles and a corresponding decrease in the market share of high-emission counterparts. We test for two potential mechanisms at work: one mediated by an increase in environmental awareness, the other induced by a rational anticipation of future stricter regulations. Empirical evidence suggests that the latter mechanism is generally more pronounced than the former. However, the first channel seems likely to be at work among individuals aged 18-25, a group that is potentially more involved in the FFF movement.
Subjects: 
Fridays for Future
climate activism
green consumption
carbon emissions
automobiles
JEL: 
D72
D12
Q53
R41
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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