The Little Book of Green Nudges

The nudge: People can be motivated by financial rewards and savings, including “gamified” monetary incentives such as lotteries or competitions. They can also be encouraged towards sustainable behaviour by non-monetary incentives, such as public recognition. Evidence that it’s effective: People in the US who played a game competing with others to be more sustainable consumed less energy for several months after playing the game. 18 Why it works: Lotteries can be effective motivators because people often focus on a large prize, even if their chance of winning it is small. Non-financial incentives can work because social approval or recognition can be just as motivating as money (see the “Make It Social” section to follow). Also, if there is a risk of payment displacing people’s intrinsic motivation to do the right thing, non-monetary rewards and social recognition can be more effective. Use smart incentives MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE

Encourage people to

bring their own mug by charging

Charge for not using your own coffee mug

extra for disposable cups

How? Instead of providing a discount for bringing a reusable mug to campus coffee shops, harness loss aversion by adding a fee for using disposable cups.

Who might be involved? Campus catering coordinators

The Little Book of Green Nudges 20