Misperceptions and Acceptability of Stringent Climate Policies

Last registered on October 23, 2024
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Misperceptions and Acceptability of Stringent Climate Policies
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0013986
Initial registration date
October 15, 2024

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
October 19, 2024, 9:38 PM EDT

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

Last updated
October 23, 2024, 10:44 AM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country
Germany
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Anton Knoche
Affiliation
PIK
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Puja Singhal
PI Affiliation
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Michael Pahle
PI Affiliation
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2024-10-15
End date
2024-12-18
Keywords
Electoral, Environment & Energy
Additional Keywords
Online Survey Experiment, Energy Efficiency, Misperceptions, Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS), Policy Preferences, Information Acquisition
JEL code(s)
C93, D83, H23, Q48, Q52, Q54
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We conduct an online survey-based randomized experiment among a large sample of German household heads to investigate how perceptions of their homes' energy efficiency performance influence their attitudes toward climate policies, particularly support for a Minimum Energy Performance Standard aimed at the most inefficient buildings. First, we explore respondents' misperceptions regarding their dwellings' energy efficiency relative to the national building stock. We then assess whether providing personalized information on their homes' relative energy efficiency standing affects respondents' climate policy preferences. Additionally, we examine whether this information influences owner-occupiers' willingness to pay for expert advice on energy efficiency retrofitting. To isolate the effect of our treatment through a personal burden mechanism, we employ a fuzzy regression discontinuity design by varying the scope of the proposed energy performance standard. Our study aims to contribute to the understanding of the relationship between personal compliance costs and public support for ambitious climate policies.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Knoche, Anton, Michael Pahle and Puja Singhal. 2024. "Misperceptions and Acceptability of Stringent Climate Policies." AEA RCT Registry. October 23. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.13986-1.1
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We randomize information to household heads regarding their dwellings' energy efficiency standing relative to the German building stock.
Intervention (Hidden)
We randomize information to household heads regarding their dwellings' energy efficiency standing relative to the German building stock. This information is presented using a decile scale from group 1 to group 10, where group 1 corresponds to the least energy-efficient 10%, and group 10 represents the most energy-efficient 10% of residential buildings in Germany. To determine these groups, we use a three-step approach. First, we estimate the energy efficiency of each household's dwelling using a standardized method based on stated information. Second, we use this data to estimate the distribution of energy efficiency across the German residential building stock. Third, we combine these results to assign a relative standing to each participant.
Intervention Start Date
2024-10-15
Intervention End Date
2024-12-18

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The primary outcomes of the experiment are stated attitudes towards a Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) and willingness to pay for personalized information on potential retrofits that enhance energy efficiency.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
The primary outcomes of the experiment are: stated support for a Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) targeting the least efficient residential buildings in Germany, with variations in the policy’s precise scope; perceived personal burden and broader economic effects of a MEPS, assessed through both structured and open-ended questions; and willingness of owner-occupiers to pay for personalized expert advice on energy efficiency retrofitting.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
The secondary outcomes of the experiment include attitudes towards alternative climate policies and a test for split incentives in renovation intentions.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
The secondary outcomes of the experiment include: support for alternative climate policies, such as a carbon tax and a MEPS for commercial buildings; willingness to accept rising carbon prices as an alternative to implementing a MEPS for residential buildings; and stated relative willingness to retrofit the dwelling in which an owner-occupier resides compared to their rental property.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The trial employs a two-stage randomized controlled design. In stage 1, participants randomly receive personalized information about their building's energy efficiency standing. Stage 2 introduces varying Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), using randomization to manipulate the perceived personal burden of a MEPS for residential buildings.
Experimental Design Details
The trial uses a two-stage randomized controlled design. In stage 1, 70% of participants (treatment group) receive personalized information about their building's energy efficiency standing, while the remaining 30% (control group) receive no additional information. Stage 2 introduces varying Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), leveraging randomization to manipulate perceived personal burden of a MEPS. Specifically, households between the 10th and 20th deciles are randomly assigned to policies covering either 10% or 20% of the worst-performing buildings, while those between the 20th and 30th deciles are assigned to policies covering 20% or 30%. The remaining households are randomly allocated to MEPS across the three stringency levels (10%, 20%, or 30%). Assignment to the treatment group is based on calculated deciles, while control group assignment is based on prior beliefs. This design allows for exogenous manipulation of perceived policy burden, when assessing attitudes towards MEPS. The experiment is split into a tenant and an owner-occupier module. The latter is more extensive than the former. Due to organizational reasons, the owner-occupier experiment takes place approximately 1.5 months after the tenant experiment. For further details, see the Pre-Analysis Plan.
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
Randomization will be conducted at the level of individual households' financial decision-makers.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
15,000 household heads.
Sample size: planned number of observations
The experiment will involve approximately 15,000 household heads across Germany.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
~ 10,500 household heads in the treatment group, ~ 4,500 household heads in the control group.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
GfeW
IRB Approval Date
2024-10-04
IRB Approval Number
XCFaPVkN
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