Behavioural insights for sustainable energy use

Mundaca, Luis; Zhu, Xianli; Hackenfort, Markus

doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113292

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Editorial review
Title:	Behavioural insights for sustainable energy use
Authors:	Mundaca, Luis Zhu, Xianli Hackenfort, Markus
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113292
Published in:	Energy Policy
Volume(Issue):	171
Issue:	113292
Issue Date:	2022
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0301-4215 1873-6777
Language:	English
Subjects:	Behaviour change; Behavioural insight; Energy behaviour; Nudge; Heterogeneity; Policy experimentation; Interdisciplinarity
Subject (DDC):	158: Applied psychology 338.927: Environmental economics and sustainable development
Abstract:	Behavioural insights are increasingly shaping the design, implementation and evaluation of energy policies. This Special Issue aims to broaden and strengthen the evidence base, and policy value of behavioural insights in the context of sustainable energy use. It showcases a plethora of behavioural issues that can help to improve our understanding of the decision-making ‘black box’ of energy users and the contexts in which behaviours take place. Our editorial focuses on five cross-cutting themes, namely: interdisciplinarity, policy experimentation, non-economic factors, the diffusion of low-carbon innovations, and digitalisation. Findings across these themes reveal various challenges (e.g. timescales of energy behaviours, scaling of policy experiments, heterogeneous treatment effects) and four overarching areas are identified when policy implications are examined horizontally: ambition, integration, cooperation and ethics. We conclude that the application of behavioural insights to sustainable energy use provides a rich body of evidence and approaches to support our understanding of complex policy issues. It is an interdisciplinary and resource-intensive process that can effectively assist policymaking by encouraging behaviour change via more integrated, (cost-) effective interventions. Knowledge exchange between social scientists and policymakers is crucial for behavioural insights to realise their full potential. Ethical considerations call for good research practices and improved governance.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/27388
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	Applied Psychology
Organisational Unit:	Psychological Institute (PI)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Angewandte Psychologie

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Mundaca, L., Zhu, X., & Hackenfort, M. (2022). Behavioural insights for sustainable energy use. Energy Policy, 171(113292). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113292

Mundaca, L., Zhu, X. and Hackenfort, M. (2022) ‘Behavioural insights for sustainable energy use’, Energy Policy, 171(113292). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113292.

L. Mundaca, X. Zhu, and M. Hackenfort, “Behavioural insights for sustainable energy use,” Energy Policy, vol. 171, no. 113292, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113292.

MUNDACA, Luis, Xianli ZHU und Markus HACKENFORT, 2022. Behavioural insights for sustainable energy use. Energy Policy. 2022. Bd. 171, Nr. 113292. DOI 10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113292

Mundaca, Luis, Xianli Zhu, and Markus Hackenfort. 2022. “Behavioural Insights for Sustainable Energy Use.” Energy Policy 171 (113292). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113292.

Mundaca, Luis, et al. “Behavioural Insights for Sustainable Energy Use.” Energy Policy, vol. 171, no. 113292, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113292.