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Social influence and carbon dioxide mitigation

Author

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  • Ganguli, Jayant Vivek
  • Mengel, Friederike

Abstract

We investigate the potential of social influence to increase people’s willingness to mitigate their carbon impact. In a large-scale online experiment consisting of two waves of data collection participants are given the choice to spend any share of a 10 GBP endowment on mitigation. If a wave-1 participant is told that their (anonymized) choice will be observed by a wave-2 participant before that participant makes their choice, then the wave-1 participant’s willingness to mitigate (WTM) increases by about 17%. This is not the case if their choice is observed by the wave-2 participant after that participant has already made their choice, which demonstrates that it is indeed the possibility of influence and not only observability that matters. Increasing influence at the extensive margin, i.e. increasing the number of wave-2 participants observing the choice, does not increase WTM. We also elicit beliefs and find that most participants overestimate how much influence they have.

Suggested Citation

  • Ganguli, Jayant Vivek & Mengel, Friederike, 2026. "Social influence and carbon dioxide mitigation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:253:y:2026:i:c:s0047272725002579
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2025.105558
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    JEL classification:

    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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