Interventions to reduce consumers' carbon footprint: A randomized evaluation

Last registered on January 03, 2023

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Interventions to reduce consumers' carbon footprint: A randomized evaluation
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0010650
Initial registration date
December 24, 2022

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
January 03, 2023, 5:12 PM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation

Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2022-10-25
End date
2022-12-25
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We use a field experiment to study whether nudging individuals with information about the carbon footprint of their transport choices leads to behavioural changes. A random sample of bank-card owners who typically use private transport (e.g. cars) receives, over a period of two months, regular feedback on the carbon footprint of their transport choices, based on the observed card transactions. Another sample randomly chosen is additionally exposed to customized notifications that praise the use of public transport or propose sustainable alternatives to the use of private transport. We compare post-treatment transport-related expenditures between the two treatment groups and a control group that typically uses private transport but is not targeted with the intervention. Apps and services offering carbon calculators and carbon footprint feedback are proliferating, yet little is known about how effective they are at inducing behavioural changes and thus ultimately at helping address the climate crisis.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
ANDERSSON, JULIUS and PAMELA CAMPA. 2023. "Interventions to reduce consumers' carbon footprint: A randomized evaluation." AEA RCT Registry. January 03. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.10650-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
See Analysis Plan
Intervention Start Date
2022-10-25
Intervention End Date
2022-12-25

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
See Analysis Plan
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
See Analysis Plan
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
See Analysis Plan
Randomization Unit
See Analysis Plan
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
See Analysis Plan
Sample size: planned number of observations
See Analysis Plan
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
See Analysis Plan
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan

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Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials