Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Environmental Law Reporter
Publication Date
6-2010
ISSN
0046-2284
Page Number
10547
Keywords
climate negotiations, emissions, energy consumption
Disciplines
Environmental Law | Law
Abstract
The limited progress of the recent Copenhagen climate negotiations and domestic legislative activity suggests that the time is ripe to identify additional politically viable, low-cost, nonintrusive strategies to reduce carbon emissions. Laws and policies that induce changes in household technology use and adoption are one such strategy. This "behavioral wedge" strategy can be pursued in the near term. The resulting emissions reductions will buy time for a stronger public consensus to emerge on the need for more costly carbon mitigation measures and will complement the addtional measures after they are adopted. In short, the case for the behavioral wedge is compelling.
An example of the magnitude of the behavioral wedge opportunity is that President Barack Obama's recently stated goal of reducing U.S. carbon emissions by 17% from 2005 levels by 20201 is achievable without significant sacrifice by energy users if sophisticated household energy programs are part of the policy mix. Our analysis of 17 types of household actions shows that if the most effective programs for inducing household energy efficiency and conservation actions were scaled to national level, carbon emissions in this sector would be reduced by about 20% in 10 years. The 20% household reduction is roughly 7.4% of national emissions, or 44% of the target articulated by President Obama. This estimate is based almost entirely on off-the-shelf technology and the results of programs that did not deploy a full array of policy tools (e.g., we did not consider appliance standards or other regulatory actions). Much larger reductions are possible.
Recommended Citation
Michael P. Vandenbergh, Paul C. Stern, Gerald T. Gardner, Thomas Dietz, and Jonathan M. Gilligan,
Implementing the Behavioral Wedge: Designing and Adopting Effective Carbon Emissions Reduction Programs, 40 Environmental Law Reporter. 10547
(2010)
Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/faculty-publications/1511