SOCIETY, BEHAVIOUR, AND CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION

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1 SOCIETY, BEHAVIOUR, AND CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION

2 ADVANCES IN GLOBAL CHANGE RESEARCH VOLUME 8 Editor-in-Chief Martin Beniston, Institute of Geography, University of Fribourg, Perolles, Switzerland Editorial Advisory Board B. Allen-Diaz, Department ESPM-Ecosystem Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A. R.S. Bradley, Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, U.S.A. W. Cramer, Department of Global Change and Natural Systems, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam, Germany. H.F. Diaz, NOAA/ERL/CDC, Boulder, CO, U.S.A. S. Erkman, Institute for Communication and Analysis of Science and Technology ICAST, Geneva, Switzerland. M. Lal, Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India. U. Luterbacher, The Graduate Institute of International Studies, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. I. Noble, CRC for Greehouse Accounting and Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. L. Tessier, Institut Mediterranéen d Ecologie et Paléoécologie, Marseille, France. F. Toth, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam, Germany. M.M. Verstraete, Space Applications Institute, EC Joint Research Centre, Ispra (VA), Italy. The titles in this series are listed at the end of this volume.

3 SOCIETY, BEHAVIOUR, AND CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION Edited by Eberhard Jochem Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research Karlsruhe, Germany Centre for Energy Policy and Economics Zürich, Switzerland Jayant Sathaye Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, California, USA and Daniel Bouille Institute for Energy Economics Buenes Aires, Argentina KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS NEW YORK, BOSTON, DORDRECHT, LONDON, MOSCOW

4 ebook ISBN: X Print ISBN: Kluwer Academic Publishers New York, Boston, Dordrecht, London, Moscow Print 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers Dordrecht All rights reserved No part of this ebook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written consent from the Publisher Created in the United States of America Visit Kluwer Online at: and Kluwer's ebookstore at:

5 Contents Preface Introduction Incorporating Behavioural, Social, and Organizational Phenomena in the Assessment of Climate Change Mitigation Options John A. Skip Laitner, Stephen J. DeCanio, Irene Peters 2. The current framework 2.1. Description of current framework 2.2. A general critique of the current framework 2.3. Implications for current climate change policy assessment 3. Improving the current framework 3.1. A schematic illustration of policy and organizational perspectives 3.2. Short-term improvements in climate policy modelling 3.3. Longer term modelling advances Epilogue: Inventing the future References Cultural Discourses in the Global Climate Change Debate Steven Ney, Michael Thompson 2. Policy Arguments and Policy Stories 3. Three Stories About Global Climate Change 4. Policy Implications 5. Scenario Planning: One Tool from the Appropriate Policy Tool- Kit 6. References Consumption, Motivation And Choice Across Scale: Consequences For Selected Target Groups Michael Thompson 1. The Rules Of The Cultural Method 2. How, then, does culture matter? 3. Some Applications Of The Cultural Method 4. References The Legacy of Twenty Years of Energy Demand Management: we know more about Individual Behaviour but next to Nothing about Demand Harold Wilhite, Elizabeth Shove, Loren Lutzenhiser, Willett Kempton Introduction Energy and the social sciences page ix xi v

6 vi 2.1. Device-centered approaches to understanding energy use 2.2. Bringing the social sciences to bear on energy policy research 2.3. A limited social science contribution 3. The problems of reducing the role of social science to that of understanding the end-user s efficiency behaviour The individual as the locus of control and change Overcoming the barriers Energy consuming behaviour or the consumption of energy services? 4. Demanding a new agenda? 4.1. Re-positioning debate 4.2. Re-formulating questions 4.3. Re-tooling research 4.4. Re-thinking policy 5. Conclusions 6. References Group Identity, Personal Ethics and Sustainable Development Suggesting New Directions For Social Marketing Research Johanna Moisander 2. Experimentalist approach to social behaviour: group identity and personal ethics as intrapersonal variables 3. Group identity and personal ethics as motives for environmentally responsible consumption 4. Green consumer as a group identity 4.1. Conceptualization of the green consumer 4.2. Myriad ways of thinking, being, and acting green 5. Morality, rationality and green consumerism 5.1. Personal ethics and green consumerism 5.2. The 'rationality' of environmentally moral behaviour 5.3 Personal environmental ethics as an existential choice 5.4. Suggested future directions for environmental policy oriented research 6. Appendix 7. References European Narratives about Human Nature, Society and the Good Life Laurie Michaelis 2. Cultural Narratives and Traditions 2.1. Modernism 2.2 Romanticism 2.3. Humanism 2.4. Other traditions 3. Views on climate change from the traditions

7 vii Where next? References Gender-Specific Patterns of Poverty and (Over-)Consumption in Developing and Developed Countries Minu Hemmati Introduction Concepts Issues & Research Poverty and (Over-)Consumption Consumption and Gender Consumption Choices By Women and Men Energy Consumption Transport Environmental Degradation Measures of Environmental Protection Consumer Awareness and Behaviour Concerning Environmental Problems 4. Points for Discussion and Future Work 5. References Climate Change and Relative Consumption Richard B. Howarth 2. The Dice Model: Base Specification 3. Relative Consumption Effects 3.1. Competitive Equilibrium 3.2. Optimal Taxation 3.3. Numerical Simulations Summary and Conclusions References Social interactions and conditions for change in energy-related decision-making in SMCs an empirical socio-economic analysis Stephan Ramesohl Abstract 1. Engineering-Economic Analyses Do They Miss the Problem? 1.1. The Micro-Economic Understanding of Decision-Making 1.2. Shortcomings of the Barrier Debate 2. Opening the Black Box - A Closer Look at the Adoption of Energy Efficiency Solutions 2.1. Economic Decision Is Only One Step In a More Complex Process of Adoption 2.2. Energy Issues Are Usually Neglected and Need Distinct Impulses to Get Back on the Agenda 2.3. Energy Efficiency Needs to Be Perceived as a Promising Opportunity for Individual and Collective Action

8 viii Efficiency Projects Risk Being Turned Down Due to Insufficient Decision Preparation 2.5. Feedback Loops and Learning Effects Contribute to Self- Dynamic Action Dimensions of the Implementation of Energy Efficiency Solutions New Insights into the Nature of Transaction Costs The Original Contribution of Socio-Economic Research to the Policy Domain of Technical Progress and Diffusion Conclusions References Motivation and decision criteria for energy efficiency in private households, companies and administrations in Russia Inna Gritsevich 2. Basic motivations and rationales for energy saving 2.1. Regional and Municipal Administrations 2.2. Private Households 2.3. Businesses 3. Conclusion 4. References List of Editors and Authors List of Reviewers, Rapporteurs, and Discussants

9 Preface The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) was jointly established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assess the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of the risk of human-induced climate change. Since its inception the IPCC has produced a series of comprehensive Assessment Reports, Special Reports and Technical Papers on the state of the understanding of causes of climate change, its potential impacts, and options for response strategies. In 1998, Working Group III (WG III) of the ongoing Third Assessment was charged by the IPCC Plenary to assess the scientific, technical, environmental, economic and social aspects of the mitigation of climate change and a series of cross-cutting issues such as equity, development and sustainability. Its mandate was changed from a predominantly disciplinary assessment of the economic and social dimensions of climate change in the Second Assessment Report to an interdisciplinary assessment of the options to control the emissions of greenhouse gases and/or enhance their sinks. One key issue of the IPCC Third Assessment Report (TAR) on mitigation of climate change, which has undergone an extensive review by scientists and governments, is the role of present and future behaviour of individuals, households, private and public companies, public authorities and other stakeholders. The patterns of behaviour and underlying value systems and cultures differ substantially among world regions and societal groups. The lead authors of several chapters of WG III recognized that the social, behavioural and cultural changes involved in mitigating global climate change are poorly understood. They acknowledged the need to broaden the existing conceptual framework and decided to invite psychologists, anthropologists and other social scientists to share their perspectives on the issue of climate change mitigation. The German Government recognized that this lack of a broader conceptual framework could be addressed, at least in part, by an IPCC Expert Meeting on social, behavioural, and cultural aspects of mitigation measures and policies. The meeting was held in March 2000 at Karlsruhe, Germany, and was organised by the Fraunhofer-Institute of Systems and Innovation Research (ISI) and the Technical Support Unit of IPCC Working Group III and was attended by about 35 participants. Its major objectives were the examination of recent findings and concepts arising from the social sciences in the context of climate mitigation options. A broad set of experts from many scientific communities and geographic regions participated giving their contributions as speakers, discussants, rapporteurs, and reviewers. The ten papers presented at the workshop are included in this volume. They represent various disciplines from the social sciences, including economics, political ix

10 x science, psychology, marketing, and anthropology. We are grateful for the contributions made by all participants. Our especial thanks to Sascha van Rooijen and the TSU for their permanent support, Renate Schmitz for organizing the IPCC expert meeting and converting the manuscript of the authors into this excellent volume; equally we would like to acknowledge Irmgard Sieb s thorough work on the layout and Anne Ray s for proof reading the contributions, of non-native authors in particular. Robert T. Watson Chair, IPCC

11 Introduction The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) noted in its Second Assessment Report that greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are increasing, and that the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate. Stabilizing the changing global climate will require policies, programmes, and measures to deploy new mitigation technologies and entrepreneurial opportunities. The social, behavioural and cultural changes that might be involved in mitigating global climate change, however, are poorly understood at present. The conceptual framework for mitigation assessment has been developed by energy economists and technologists during the last two decades; it has traditionally focused on the concepts of economic and technical potentials, whose attainment is prevented by barriers and market imperfections. This rather technical or physico-chemical ( activation energy ) conceptual framework does not sufficiently take into account factors such as individual motivation and personality (e.g., convenience, fun culture, social prestige), communication and decision patterns within administrations and companies (e.g., hierarchical decision processes, image building) or cultural aspects and life styles. Explanations of market imperfections are typically of a microeconomic nature, e.g., transaction costs, additional risks of impaired product quality or disruption of production, energy subsidies, or consumer utility functions. The concepts used so far tend to neglect psychological, social and cultural explanations of human behaviour and choice. These neglected aspects need to be considered with much more emphasis in order to design effective policies, programmes and measures However, there is relatively little literature on climate change mitigation policies with a strong grounding in the social sciences, especially in countries with economies in transition and developing countries. Therefore, this book is focused on the psychological, social and cultural aspects and related conceptual frameworks of mitigation assessment. Its aim is to contribute to the Third Assessment Report of the IPCC, Working Group III by helping to broaden the conceptual basis, and hence to encourage the development of more effective mitigation policies worldwide. The book will also assist marketing experts of energy service companies, technology producers and utilities in gaining a better understanding of their customers decisions, and provide material for relevant courses at universities and other academic and research institutions. As usual in the IPCC process, a successful publication has depended first and for most in the co-operation of scientists and other experts worldwide. In the case of this book the participants of the expert meeting mentioned in the Annex list of the book have devoted much time and effort as authors, reviewers, discussants or rapporteurs. We are extremely grateful for their commitment to the IPCC process. Rainer Baake State Secretary of the Environmental Ministry, Berlin, Germany xi

Towards a Consumer-Driven Energy System

IEA Committee on Energy Research and Technology EXPERTS GROUP ON R&D PRIORITY-SETTING AND EVALUATION Towards a Consumer-Driven Energy System Understanding Human Behaviour Workshop Summary 12-13 October