Can social comparisons and moral appeals encourage low-emission transport use?

Because company cars add to corporate CO2 footprints, companies are beginning to replace cars with mobility budgets that employees can use for leisure and commuting trips. This study examines whether nudges can encourage sustainable travel in such a subsidized setting. We conduct a field experiment...

Celý popis

Uloženo v:
Podrobná bibliografie
Vydáno v:Transportation research. Part D, Transport and environment Ročník 133; s. 104289
Hlavní autoři: Gessner, Johannes, Habla, Wolfgang, Wagner, Ulrich J.
Médium: Journal Article
Jazyk:angličtina
Vydáno: Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2024
Témata:
ISSN:1361-9209
On-line přístup:Získat plný text
Tagy: Přidat tag
Žádné tagy, Buďte první, kdo vytvoří štítek k tomuto záznamu!
Popis
Shrnutí:Because company cars add to corporate CO2 footprints, companies are beginning to replace cars with mobility budgets that employees can use for leisure and commuting trips. This study examines whether nudges can encourage sustainable travel in such a subsidized setting. We conduct a field experiment with 341 employees of a large German company. Observing expenditure items charged to the mobility budget, we test if social comparisons and a climate-related moral appeal induce a shift towards low-emissions transport modes. We find that simultaneous application of both nudges causes a reduction in car use, particularly taxi and ride sharing, as well as substitution towards micromobility, but not public transport. The social comparison alone is not effective, and the treatment effects of the combined nudge vanish in the second half of the treatment period. Survey evidence suggests that these results are driven by a minority that complies with the communicated social norm.
ISSN:1361-9209
DOI:10.1016/j.trd.2024.104289