KlimaHand – Climate-aware behavior as citizens and consumers

Carbon pricing (as cost internalization in the sense of the polluter pays principle) is, by now, widely acknowledged as a necessary instrument for the systematic reduction of CO2 emissions and, therefore, individuals' carbon footprints.  In September 2019, the German Government presented an outline for a comprehensive carbon pricing scheme (emissions trading system) and accompanying measures as part of the so-called climate package . It is, however, unknown how individuals represent their carbon footprint and how they anticipate possible effects of carbon pricing schemes on their household. This could have important consequences for the social acceptability and the effectiveness of such instruments.

In this research project, we systematically investigate how consumers react to carbon pricing schemes considering the representation of their own carbon budgets and their perceived scopes of behavior change in different consumption sectors.

The project is funded by the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Energy of Saxony-Anhalt

Publications:

Matthies, E. & Merten, M. (2022). High-income Households — Damned to consume or free to engage in high-impact energy-saving behaviours? Journal of Environmental Psychology, 101829. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101829

Merten, M. J., Becker, A. C. & Matthies, E. (2022). What explains German consumers’ acceptance of carbon pricing? Examining the roles of pro-environmental orientation and consumer coping style. Energy Research & Social Sciene, 85, 102367.

Matthies, E., Becker, A. & Bobeth, S. (2020).CO2-Bepreisung zwischen wirkungsvollem Instrument und Überforderung?  Eine Pilotstudie zu Bedingungen der Akzeptabilität. GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 29(4), 249 - 257.

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