Using Online Carbon Calculators for Participation in Local Climate Initiatives

Aichholzer, Georg; Allhutter, Doris; Strauß, Stefan

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-33250-0_8

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…While technology can be used to influence human behaviour and thinking [15] and to promote sustainable behaviour [16], little is known about the behavioural effects of ecological footprint calculators. Calculator users have reported that the tools increased their knowledge and awareness about their climate impact and ways to reduce it [17][18][19][20][21], and also increased their motivation to reduce their footprint [22].…”

Section: Effects Of Ecological Footprint Calculators On Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Students who completed a carbon footprint calculator in combination with focus group discussions also reported to have made some small changes to their lifestyle as a result [18], and students who used a carbon footprint management system (including various persuasive techniques) on a weekly basis showed reduced carbon emissions after four and six weeks [29]. Finally, a long-term study where a bi-monthly carbon calculator was used as part of a local climate initiative found that the initiative had reduced participants' CO2 emissions [19].…”

Section: Effects Of Ecological Footprint Calculators On Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Why Ecological Footprint Calculators Should Move beyond Information Provision – An Empirical Study of the Relationship between Environmental Knowledge and Ecological Footprint

Al¹,

Barendregt²

2021

Preprint

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Ecological footprint calculators are digital tools that help individuals calculate their environmental or climate impact, with the aim of stimulating pro-environmental behaviour change. These footprint calculators typically take an information-provision approach, but this strategy assumes that increased levels of knowledge result in increased levels of pro-environmental behaviour (i.e., a reduced footprint). This is not a given – existing literature on the relationship between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behaviour is inconclusive, and this relationship may be different from that of environmental knowledge and ecological footprint. As such, we investigated the relationship between environmental knowledge and ecological footprint as estimated by a footprint calculator. 448 Dutch participants completed an online survey, including an ecological footprint calculator. We found no evidence for a relationship between environmental knowledge and ecological footprint calculator outcome. Rather, an exploratory analysis of our data showed that environmental values were more important predictors of ecological footprint. The finding that increased levels of knowledge are not related to a reduced ecological footprint suggests that calculators would do well to move beyond information provision, and employ additional behaviour change strategies. Based on our exploratory analysis, we provide several concrete examples of potential strategies.

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Section: Effects Of Ecological Footprint Calculators On Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Effects Of Ecological Footprint Calculators On Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Ecological Footprint Calculators Should Move beyond Information Provision – An Empirical Study of the Relationship between Environmental Knowledge and Ecological Footprint

Al¹,

Barendregt²

2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…There are only few studies on the effectiveness of using carbon calculators, and their results are mixed. Some studies have reported actual reductions amongst their participants, e.g., [27,28]. However, others have questioned whether carbon calculators really have an effect on people's behaviour.…”

Section: The Design and Use Of Carbon Footprint Calculatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This social feature connects to several other social aspects of motivation and behavioural change such as norm activation, feelings of pride and guilt, peer pressure, and so on. While several studies with limited results have been conducted on carbon calculators in the past (e.g., [6,[27][28][29]), this social setting is a rather unexplored area of carbon calculators (see [27]), which has some potential.…”

Section: Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Users’ Experiences with the Use of Transaction Data to Estimate Consumption-Based Emissions in a Carbon Calculator

2020

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With global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ever increasing, we are currently seeing a renewed interest in carbon footprint calculators (or carbon calculators for short). While carbon calculators have traditionally calculated emissions based on user input about e.g., food, heating, and traveling, a new development in this area is the use of transaction data to also estimate emissions based on consumption. Such carbon calculators should be able to provide users with more accurate estimations, easier input possibilities, and an incentive to continue using them. In this paper, we present the results from a survey sent to the users of such a novel carbon calculator, called Svalna. Svalna offers users the possibility to connect their bank account. The transaction data are then coupled with Environmental Extended Multi Regional Input Output data (EE-MRIO) for Swedish conditions which are used to determine a continuous overview of the user’s greenhouse gas emissions from consumption. The aim of the survey was to (a) understand whether people are willing to connect their bank account, (b) whether they trust the calculations of their emissions, and (c) whether they think the use of Svalna has an effect on their behaviour. Furthermore, we wanted to know how Svalna could be improved. While the results of the survey showed that many users were willing to connect their bank account, a rather large part of the users perceived safety risks in doing so. The users also showed an only average level of trust in the correctness of the estimated greenhouse gas emissions. A lack of trust was attributed to experiencing technical problems but also to not knowing how the emissions were calculated and because the calculator could not capture all details of the user’s life. However, many users still indicated that the use of Svalna had helped them to initiate action to reduce their emissions. In order to improve Svalna, the users wanted to be able to provide more details, e.g., by scanning receipts and get better options for dealing with a shared economy. We conclude this paper by discussing some opportunities and challenges for the use of transaction data in carbon footprint calculators.

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“…This is due both to empirical difficulties in identifying these effects and the complex relationship between politics and a continuously evolving technology. There is an urgent call in the literature for empirical data that can support the normative speculation regarding the role of cyber citizenship (Aichholzer and Allhutter, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can You Engage in Political Activity Without Internet Access? The Social Effects of Internet Deprivation

Shandler

Gross

Canetti

2019

Political Studies Review

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To what extent can you engage in political activity in the modern age without Internet access? The growing dependence on Internet access to fulfill basic civil functions is threatened by increasing personal and societal cyber vulnerability. In this article, we explore the extent to which citizens are able, or unable, to engage in specific political activities in the absence of Internet connectivity. To concretize the subject, we test how Internet deprivation affects the ability to realize three basic elements of political participation: political expression, civic association, and access to information. To measure this, we develop a new experimental methodology that tests people’s ability to complete tasks related to each function under simulated treatments of Internet access or deprivation. This empirical methodology offers a new framework through which to quantify the realization of social tasks under experimental conditions. Early results suggest that the absence of Internet access significantly reduces task completion for activities related to political expression and political association and conditionally reduces task completion for practices associated with freedom of information. Having substantiated this empirical framework, we encourage its application to additional forms of political activity.

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Using Online Carbon Calculators for Participation in Local Climate Initiatives

Cited by 13 publications

References 12 publications

Why Ecological Footprint Calculators Should Move beyond Information Provision – An Empirical Study of the Relationship between Environmental Knowledge and Ecological Footprint

Why Ecological Footprint Calculators Should Move beyond Information Provision – An Empirical Study of the Relationship between Environmental Knowledge and Ecological Footprint

Users’ Experiences with the Use of Transaction Data to Estimate Consumption-Based Emissions in a Carbon Calculator

Can You Engage in Political Activity Without Internet Access? The Social Effects of Internet Deprivation

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