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Making the carbon basket count: Goal setting promotes sustainable consumption in a simulated online supermarket

Author

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  • Aysegul Kanay

    (CLLE-LTC - Cognition, Langues, Langage, Ergonomie - EPHE - École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - UT2J - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès - UT - Université de Toulouse - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Denis Hilton

    (CLLE-LTC - Cognition, Langues, Langage, Ergonomie - EPHE - École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - UT2J - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès - UT - Université de Toulouse - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Laetitia Charalambides

    (UNIL - Université de Lausanne = University of Lausanne, CLLE-LTC - Cognition, Langues, Langage, Ergonomie - EPHE - École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - UT2J - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès - UT - Université de Toulouse - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Jean-Baptiste Corrégé

    (LIMSI - Laboratoire d'Informatique pour la Mécanique et les Sciences de l'Ingénieur - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CLLE-LTC - Cognition, Langues, Langage, Ergonomie - EPHE - École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - UT2J - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès - UT - Université de Toulouse - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Eva Inaudi

    (UT2J - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès - UT - Université de Toulouse)

  • Laurent Waroquier

    (LAPSCO - Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne)

  • Stéphane Cézéra

    (TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics - UT Capitole - Université Toulouse Capitole - UT - Université de Toulouse - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

Abstract

We compared the effectiveness of basket goal-setting to product information strategies on sustainable consumption in a simulated online supermarket. Experiment 1 found a significant effect of basket goal setting techniques with carbon basket feedback in either numerical or graphical form on the carbon content of baskets purchased but no effect of numerical product information alone or in combination with basket CO2 information. Experiment 2 also found that basket goal setting was effective, but found no additional effect of introducing five-colour coding of the carbon footprints of either products or baskets. Experiment 3 found that repeated visits to the online supermarket led to improved learning about product carbon footprint in the basket goal setting condition, which mediated the effect of goal setting on basket carbon footprint. Our results suggest that goal setting techniques with feedback can reduce the carbon footprint of online shopping baskets and facilitate learning about product carbon footprint.

Suggested Citation

  • Aysegul Kanay & Denis Hilton & Laetitia Charalambides & Jean-Baptiste Corrégé & Eva Inaudi & Laurent Waroquier & Stéphane Cézéra, 2021. "Making the carbon basket count: Goal setting promotes sustainable consumption in a simulated online supermarket," Post-Print hal-03403040, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03403040
    DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2020.102348
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-03403040v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Momsen, Katharina & Ohndorf, Markus, 2022. "Information avoidance, selective exposure, and fake (?) news: Theory and experimental evidence on green consumption," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    2. Castro-Santa, Juana & Drews, Stefan & Bergh, Jeroen van den, 2023. "Nudging low-carbon consumption through advertising and social norms," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    3. Luca A. Panzone & Natasha Auch & Daniel John Zizzo, 2024. "Nudging the Food Basket Green: The Effects of Commitment and Badges on the Carbon Footprint of Food Shopping," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 87(1), pages 89-133, January.
    4. Lohmann, Paul M. & Gsottbauer, Elisabeth & Doherty, Anya & Kontoleon, Andreas, 2022. "Do carbon footprint labels promote climatarian diets? Evidence from a large-scale field experiment," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).

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    Keywords

    Sustainable consumption; Goal-setting; Decision-aiding; Carbon labels; Groceries;
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