Green Nudges to tackle Climate Change | PWOnlyIAS 2023

GS Paper III Environment and Ecology

Subject: GS-3 Environment

Context:

A study conducted in collaboration with an online food delivery platform in China suggests that green nudges can be an effective way to tackle Environmental Problems.

In behavioral economics, nudges are interventions that influence people’s choices to make certain decisions without restricting the choices available to them.
Nudge Theory:
- This theory was developed in 2008 by economist Richard Thaler. He reasons that the concept of “nudging” means helping people have more self-control to make decisions.
- It suggests placing small, practical stimuli or “nudges” to guide us toward the decision that benefits us the most in the long term.
- He won the Nobel Prize in economics in 2017.

Green nudges are gentle persuasions to influence environment-friendly behavior in people.
Green nudges are a relatively new policy tool, but they have been shown to be effective in changing people’s behavior and reducing negative environmental impacts.
They are a promising way to promote sustainable development without relying on traditional command-and-control regulations.
Nudge techniques: Public awareness campaigns, Social Norms Marketing, and Community-based Initiatives.

- Green nudges are a promising way to tackle climate change by encouraging people to make choices that are good for themselves, their communities, and the planet.
- Examples
  - UK: “The Big Switch Off” campaign to encourage people to turn off lights and appliances when not in use.
  - Netherlands: “Pay as you throw” policy for garbage collection.’
  - US: San Francisco plastic bag ban.

The idea promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle that focuses on ‘mindful and deliberate utilization’ instead of ‘mindless and wasteful consumption’.
The LiFE Movement aims to utilize the power of collective action and nudge individuals across the world to undertake simple climate-friendly actions in their daily lives.

Nudge policies are becoming increasingly popular in India as policymakers look for ways to promote positive social and economic change without resorting to traditional command-and-control regulations.
- For example nudge policies used in programs such as Swachh Bharat Mission, GiveItUp campaign and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP), etc

Source: The Hindu