Open AccessAdopting LEDs changes attitudes towards climate change: experimental evidence from China
Author(s) -
Yu Gao,
Giovanna d’Adda,
Massimo Tavoni
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
environmental research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.37
H-Index - 124
ISSN - 1748-9326
DOI - 10.1088/1748-9326/ab1499
Subject(s) - climate change , variety (cybernetics) , behavior change , china , psychology , longitudinal field , environmental economics , business , natural resource economics , environmental resource management , social psychology , economics , political science , computer science , ecology , physics , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , magnetic field , law , biology
The adoption of low carbon technologies needs to go hand in hand with an increased awareness of climate change and its consequences and solutions. Attitudes toward climate change are influenced by a variety of factors, most notably educational attainment and exposure to climatic events attributable to climate change. However, less is known about the effect of technology adoption on climate change beliefs and support for mitigating measures. Through a longitudinal, incentivized field experiment with Chinese households, we assess attitudes toward climate change before and after adopting efficient lighting technology. The results show differential patterns of attitudinal change: while belief in the reality of climate change and willingness to adopt energy-efficient appliances increase, support for energy taxes does not. We attribute the attitudinal change to the adoption of LED light bulbs. Further evidence suggests that experience with efficient technology, rather than knowledge acquisition, drives this change. These results highlight the importance of action-initiating behavioral intervention to complement educational programs aimed at improving knowledge.