Literature Review The environment is currently being threatened by global warming, air pollution, water shortages, habitat loss, and biodiversity loss, among other issues. Many of these problems are caused by humans (Vlek and Steg, 2007; Rosenzweig 2008) and it is believed that et al., technological innovations alone will not solve these issues (Midden 2007). In order to et al., decrease the impact that humans are having on the environment, a dramatic shift in behaviours and habits are needed (Howard, 2000; Oskamp, 2000). In fact, studies in the US have shown that changes in behaviour could reduce 20% of household level carbon emissions in ten individual’s years (Dietz 2009). This is more than would be expected if all emissions from some of the et al., largest emitters in the US industrial sector were reduced to zero (Dietz 2009), making it et al., clear that shift in habits away from inherently damaging and wasteful activities, towards those that are more environmental and conservation driven should be a goal of society (Osbaldiston and Sheldon, 2003). For this shift to occur, individuals must not only be motivated to perform more pro-environmental behaviours, which can be defined as behaviours that consciously work to minimize the negative impacts of on the natural world (Kollmuss and Agyeman, one’s actions 2002), they should also be motivated to integrate these behaviours in their lifestyle so that they are maintained over time. Motivation can come from a number of sources, and one that has popularly been used in attempting to shape pro-environmental behaviours is that of rewards or financial incentives. Carbon pricing, recycling deposits, plastic bag charges, and composting fines would all fit into this category, as would any other type of financial incentive. In the past few decades there have been increases in the use of pollution charges, tradable permits, emission reduction credits, emission taxes and cap-and-trade systems to regulate pollution emissions (Sovacool, 2015). This has
Literature Review The environment is currently being threatened by global warming, air pollution, water shortages, habitat loss, and biodiversity loss, among other issues. Many of these problems are caused by humans (Vlek and Steg, 2007; Rosenzweig et al., 2008) and it is believed that technological innovations alone will not solve these issues (Midden et al., 2007). In order to decrease the impact that humans are having on the environment, a dramatic shift in behaviours and habits are needed (Howard, 2000; Oskamp, 2000). In fact, studies in the US have shown that changes in individual’s behaviour could reduce 20% of household level carbon emissions in ten years (Dietz et al., 2009). This is more than would be expected if all emissions from some of the largest emitters in the US industrial sector were reduced to zero (Dietz et al., 2009), making it clear that shift in habits away from inherently damaging and wasteful activities, towards those that are more environmental and conservation driven should be a goal of society (Osbaldiston and Sheldon, 2003). For this shift to occur, individuals must not only be motivated to perform more pro-environmental behaviours, which can be defined as behaviours that consciously work to minimize the negative impacts of one’s actions on the natural world (Kollmuss and Agyeman, 2002), they should also be motivated to integrate these behaviours in their lifestyle so that they are maintained over time. Motivation can come from a number of sources, and one that has popularly been used in attempting to shape pro-environmental behaviours is that of rewards or financial incentives. Carbon pricing, recycling deposits, plastic bag charges, and composting fines would all fit into this category, as would any other type of financial incentive. In the past few decades there have been increases in the use of pollution charges, tradable permits, emission reduction credits, emission taxes and cap-and-trade systems to regulate pollution emissions (Sovacool, 2015). This has
Holland_Vanessa_Does_carbon_tax_analysis_consider_motivation_and_household_level_behavioural_change.docx