Behavioural and psychological insights in climate policy

Gkargkavouzi, Anastasia and Halkou, Panagiota and Halkos, George (2025): Behavioural and psychological insights in climate policy.

Abstract

The current work examines the role of behavioural and psychology science in the design and implementation of climate policies. By synthesizing evidence from diverse disciplines, we develop an analytic framework to assess how behavioural and psychological insights can close the intention-action gap and enhance policy effectiveness. Drawing from recent studies on psychological adaptation, social norms, and policy instrument design, we argue that integrated, context-sensitive behavioural strategies can facilitate large-scale sustainable transformation. The paper emphasizes the limitations of current behavioural approaches and proposes robust, interdisciplinary policy architectures aimed at fostering equity, engagement, and long-term impact.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Behavioural science; climate policy; psychological adaptation; public engagement.
• Subjects: A - General Economics and Teaching > A1 - General Economics > A14 - Sociology of Economics; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I3 - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty > I30 - General; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q0 - General > Q00 - General; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics > Q51 - Valuation of Environmental Effects; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics > Q56 - Environment and Development ; Environment and Trade ; Sustainability ; Environmental Accounts and Accounting ; Environmental Equity ; Population Growth; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics > Q59 - Other

References

Andor, M., & Fels, K. (2018). Behavioral Economics and Energy Conservation- A Systematic Review of Non-price Interventions and Their Causal Effects. Ecological Economics. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ECOLECON.2018.01.018

Aoki, E., Shirai, N., Baba, K., Masuhara, N., & Taniguchi, M. (2024). Developing behavioral models of citizens for adapting to and mitigating climate change: a study on four prefectures in Japan. Frontiers in Climate. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2024.1283946

Bastini, K., Kerschreiter, R., Lachmann, M., Ziegler, M., &Sawert, T. (2023). Encouraging Individual Contributions to Net-Zero Organizations: Effects of Behavioral Policy Interventions and Social Norms. Journal of Business Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05516-8

Bechtoldt, M., Götmann, A., Moslener, U., & Pauw, W. (2020). Addressing the climate change adaptation puzzle: a psychological science perspective. Climate Policy, 21, 186 - 202. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2020.1807897

Beiser‐McGrath, L., & Huber, R. (2018). Assessing the relative importance of psychological and demographic factors for predicting climate and environmental attitudes. Climatic Change, 149, 335-347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-018-2260-9

Berger, S., Cologna, V., & Bauer, J. (2024). Mitigating Climate Change Via the Demand Side and Behavioral Insights: Policy Recommendation and Current Challenges. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1177/23727322241275147

Bergquist, M., Thiel, M., Goldberg, M., & Van Der Linden, S. (2023). Field interventions for climate change mitigation behaviors: A second-order meta-analysis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2214851120

Biresselioglu ME and Demir MH (2024) Fromconcept to impact: strategic guidelines forenvironmental behavior change interventions. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1392461.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1392461

Bonfanti, R., Ruggieri, S., & Schimmenti, A. (2024). Psychological Trust Dynamics in Climate Change Adaptation Decision-Making Processes: A Literature Review. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16103984

Bradley, G., & Reser, J. (2017). Adaptation processes in the context of climate change: a social and environmental psychology perspective. Journal of Bioeconomics, 19, 29-51. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10818-016-9231-X

Bradley, G., Babutsidze, Z., Chai, A., & Reser, J. (2020). The role of climate change risk perception, response efficacy, and psychological adaptation in pro-environmental behavior: A two nation study. Journal of Environmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101410

Buttenheim, A., Moffitt, R., & Beatty, A. (2023). Behavioral Economics: Policy Impact and Future Directions. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17226/26874

Capano, G., & Howlett, M. (2020). The Knowns and Unknowns of Policy Instrument Analysis: Policy Tools and the Current Research Agenda on Policy Mixes. SAGE Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019900568

Clayton, S., Devine‐Wright, P., Stern, P., Whitmarsh, L., Carrico, A., Steg, L., Swim, J., & Bonnes, M. (2015). Psychological research and global climate change. Nature Climate Change, 5, 640-646. https://doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE2622

Das, A., Biswas, S., Jilani, M., & Uddin, M. (2019). Corporate Environmental Strategy and Voluntary Environmental Behavior—Mediating Effect of Psychological Green Climate. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU11113123

De Vries, G. (2020). Public Communication as a Tool to Implement Environmental Policies. Review Social Issues and Policy Review, 14 (1), 244--272. https://doi.org/10.1111/sipr.12061

Dietz, T., Gardner, G., Gilligan, J., Stern, P., & Vandenbergh, M. (2009). Household actions can provide a behavioral wedge to rapidly reduce US carbon emissions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106, 18452 - 18456. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0908738106

Editorial (2021). Weighing up policy tools. Nature Sustainability, 4, 561. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00754-y

Ejelöv, E., Harring, N., Hansla, A., Jagers, S., & Nilsson, A. (2022). Push, Pull, or Inform - an Empirical Taxonomy of Environmental Policy Support in Sweden. Journal of Public Policy, 42(3), 529–552. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0143814X21000271

Freschi, G., Menegatto, M., & Zamperini, A. (2023). How Can Psychology Contribute to Climate Change Governance? A Systematic Review. Sustainability, 15(19), 14273. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914273

Gkargkavouzi, A., Halkos, G., & Matsiori, S. (2019a). Environmental behavior in a private-sphere context: Integrating theories of planned behavior and value belief norm, self-identity and habit. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 148, 145–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.RESCONREC.2019.01.039

Gkargkavouzi, A., Halkos, G., & Matsiori, S. (2019b). How do motives and knowledge relate to intention to perform environmental behavior? Assessing the mediating role of constraints. Ecological Economics, 165, 106394. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ECOLECON.2019.106394

Gowdy, J. (2008). Behavioral economics and climate change policy. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 68, 632-644. https://doi.org/10.1016/ J.JEBO.2008.06.011

Halkos, G.E. (1993a) Sulphur abatement policy: implications of cost differentials. Energy Policy 21 (10), 1035-1043.

Halkos, G.E. (1993b). Economic incentives for optimal sulphur abatement in Europe. MPRA Paper 33705.

Halkos, G.E. (1994). Optimal abatement of sulphur emissions in Europe. Environmental and Resource Economics 4, 127-150.

Halkos, C.E. (1998). Evaluating the Direct Costs of Controlling NO x Emissions in Europe. Energy Sources 20 (3), 223-239.

Halkos, G.E. & Kitsou, D.C. (2015). Uncertainty in optimal pollution levels: modelling and evaluating the benefit area. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 58 (4), 678-700.

Halkos, G. & Galani, G. (2016). Assessing willingness to pay for marine and coastal ecosystems: A case study in Greece. Munich Pers. RePEc Arch 68767, 1–27.

Halkos, G.E. & Nomikos, S.N. (2021). Reviewing the status of corporate social responsibility (CSR) legal framework. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal 32 (4), 700-716.

Halkos, G.E., Leonti, A. & Sardianou, E. (2022) Determinants of willingness to pay for entrance to urban parks: A quantile regression analysis. Economic Analysis and Policy 74, 421-431.

Hall, M., Lewis, N., & Ellsworth, P. (2018). Believing in climate change, but not behaving sustainably: Evidence from a one-year longitudinal study. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 56, 55-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JENVP.2018.03.001

Heath, S. (2025). Navigating psychosocial dimensions: understanding the intersections of adaptation strategies and well-being outcomes in the context of climate change. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.cosust.2024.101493

Hirschi, A., Herrmann, A., & Keller, A. (2015). Career adaptivity, adaptability, and adapting: A conceptual and empirical investigation. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 87, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JVB.2014.11.008

Howlett, M., & Rawat, S. (2019). Behavioral Science and Climate Policy. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science. https://doi.org/10.1093/ACREFORE/9780190228620.013.624

Hu, J., Liu, I., Stewart, S., Lam, T., & Yu, N. (2022). The More the Better, Only in the Longer Term: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate a Compound Intervention Among Mainland Chinese Immigrants in Hong Kong.. Behavior therapy, 53 5, 944-957. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2022.04.003

Iwińska, K., Bieliński, J., Calheiros, C., Koutsouris, A., Kraszewska, M., &Mikusiński, G. (2023). The primary drivers of private-sphere pro-environmental behaviour in five European countries during the Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Cleaner Production, 393, 136330 - 136330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro. 2023.136330

Jenny, M., Lehrer, L., Eitze, S., Sprengholz, P., Korn, L., Shamsrizi, P., Geiger, M., Hellmann, L., Mai, L., Maur, K., & Betsch, C. (2022). Accelerating climate protection by behavioural insights: the Planetary Health Action Survey (PACE).. The Lancet. Planetary health, 6 Suppl 1, S19. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00281-9

Jin, Y., Zheng, D., Gu, R., Fan, Q., Dietz, M., Wang, C., Li, X., Chen, J., Hu, Y., & Zhou, Y. (2024). Substantial Heritability Underlies Fairness Norm Adaptation Capability and its Neural Basis. Advanced Science, 12. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202411070

Kácha, O., & Ruggeri, K. (2019). Nudging intrinsic motivation in environmental risk and social policy. Journal of Risk Research, 22, 581 - 592. https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2018.1459799

Kukowski, C., Bernecker, K., Von Der Heyde, L., Boos, M., &Brandstätter, V. (2022). Climate policy support as a tool to control others’ (but not own) environmental behavior?.PLoS ONE, 17. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone. 0269030

Lacasse, K. (2019). Can’t Hurt, Might Help: Examining the Spillover Effects From Purposefully Adopting a New Pro-Environmental Behavior. Environment and Behavior, 51, 259 - 287. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916517748164

Lin, F., Tao, Y., Chen, Q., Anthony, M., Zhang, Z., Tadin, D., & Heffner, K. (2020). Processing speed and attention training modifies autonomic flexibility: A mechanistic intervention study. NeuroImage, 213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuro image.2020.116730

Marteau, T., Chater, N., & Garnett, E. (2021). Changing behaviour for net zero 2050. BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n2293

Mitev, K., Player, L., Verfuerth, C., Westlake, S., & Whitmarsh, L. (2023). The Implications of Behavioural Science for Effective Climate Policy. Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) / Climate Change Committee (CCC). https://doi.org/None

Mus, M., Hadjes, A., Mercier, H., & Chevallier, C. (2024). Psychological drivers of conservation policy support: A systematic scoping review of quantitative evidence. Biological Conservation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110441

Nicolas, M., Martinent, G., Suedfeld, P., & Gaudino, M. (2019). Assessing psychological adaptation during polar winter-overs: The isolated and confined environments questionnaire (ICE-Q). Journal of Environmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JENVP.2019.101317

Nielsen, K., Cologna, V., Bauer, J., Berger, S., Brick, C., Dietz, T., Hahnel, U., Henn, L., Lange, F., Stern, P., & Wolske, K. (2024). Realizing the full potential of behavioural science for climate change mitigation. Nature Climate Change. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-01951-1

Nielsen, K., Cologna, V., Bauer, J., Berger, S., Brick, C., Dietz, T., Hahnel, U., Henn, L., Lange, F., Stern, P., & Wolske, K. (2024). Realizing the full potential of behavioral science for climate change mitigation. Nature Climate Change. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-01951-1

Nisa, C., Bélanger, J., Schumpe, B., & Faller, D. (2019). Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials testing behavioural interventions to promote household action on climate change. Nature Communications, 10. https://doi.org/10.1038/ s41467-019-12457-2

Norton, T., Zacher, H., Parker, S., &Ashkanasy, N. (2017). Bridging the gap between green behavioral intentions and employee green behavior: The role of green psychological climate. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38, 996-1015. https://doi.org/10.1002/JOB.2178

Page, J., Zhou, H., Pan, H., Zhou, C., Pei, P., & Kalantari, Z. (2024). (Non-)terrestrial and (Non-)local pathways of behavioral policy diffusion in European cities’ climate action plans: Contextual, cultural, and leadership framing. Land Use Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107373

Pham, H. N., Thai, N. T., Heffernan, T. W., & Reynolds, N. (2023). Environmental Policies and the Promotion of Pro-Environmental Consumer Behavior: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Macromarketing, 44(1), 30-58. https://doi.org/10.1177/02761467231201507

Pichler, S., Casper, W., Fletcher, L., & Babu, N. (2023). Adaptation in work and family roles link support to mental health during a pandemic. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12452

Pongiglione, F., &Cherlet, J. (2015). The Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Climate Change: Fundamental but Disregarded?. Journal for General Philosophy of Science, 46, 383 - 391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10838-015-9305-9

Raimi, K. (2021). How to Encourage Pro-Environmental Behaviors without Crowding Out Public Support for Climate Policies. Behavioral Science & Policy, 7, 101 - 108. https://doi.org/10.1177/237946152100700209

Rana, I., Arshad, H., Jamshed, A., Khalid, Z., Younas, Z., Bhatti, S., & Ahmad, J. (2023). The impact of psychological distance to climate change and urban informality on adaptation planning. Urban Climate. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim. 2023.101460

Reser, J., & Swim, J. (2011). Adapting to and coping with the threat and impacts of climate change.. The American Psychologist, 66 4, 277-89. https://doi.org/ 10.1037/a0023412

Ritter, K., Matthews, R., Ford, M., & Henderson, A. (2016). Understanding role stressors and job satisfaction over time using adaptation theory.. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 101 12, 1655-1669. https://doi.org/10.1037/APL0000152

Safavi, H., &Bouzari, M. (2019). The association of psychological capital, career adaptability and career competency among hotel frontline employees. Tourism Management Perspectives. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TMP.2019.02.001

Shen, Y. & Faure, M. (2024). Behavioural instruments in environmental law and policy: Potential and challenges. Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law. https://doi.org/10.1111/reel.12541

Singh, A., Zwickle, A., Bruskotter, J., & Wilson, R. (2017). The perceived psychological distance of climate change impacts and its influence on support for adaptation policy. Environmental Science & Policy, 73, 93-99. https://doi.org/10. 1016/J.ENVSCI.2017.04.011

Spătaru, B., Podina, I., Tulbure, B., &Maricuţoiu, L. (2024). A longitudinal examination of appraisal, coping, stress, and mental health in students: A cross-lagged panel network analysis.. Stress and health. Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, e3450. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3450

Stern, P. (2020). A reexamination on how behavioral interventions can promote household action to limit climate change. Nature Communications, 11. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14653-x

Ulibarri, N., Ajibade, I., Galappaththi, E. K., Joe, E. T., Lesnikowski, A., … Mach, K. J. (2021). A global assessment of policy tools to support climate adaptation. Climate Policy, 22(1), 77–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2021.2002251

Van Der Linden, S., Maibach, E., & Leiserowitz, A. (2015). Improving Public Engagement With Climate Change. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10, 758 - 763. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691615598516

Van Der Linden, S., Pearson, A. R., & Van Boven, L. (2021). Behavioural climate policy. Behavioural Public Policy, 5(4), 430–438. https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp. 2020.44

Verfuerth with Demski, Capstick, Whitmarsh, Poortinga (2023), ‘A people-centred approach is needed to meet net zero goals’, Journal of the British Academy, 11(4): 097 https://doi.org/10.5871/jba/011s4.097

Vlasceanu, M., Doell, K., Bak-Coleman, J., Todorova, B., Berkebile-Weinberg, M., Grayson, S., Patel, Y., Goldwert, D., Pei, Y., Chakroff, A., Pronizius, E., Van Den Broek.. et al. (2024). Addressing climate change with behavioral science: A global intervention tournament in 63 countries. Science Advances, 10. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj5778

Walker, R. M., Yeung, D. Y. L., Lee, M. J., & Lee, I. P. (2020). Assessing Information-based Policy Tools: An Eye-Tracking Laboratory Experiment on Public Information Posters. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 22(6), 558–578. https://doi.org/10.1080/13876988.2020.1753035

Yeganeh, A., McCoy, A., & Schenk, T. (2020). Determinants of climate change policy adoption: A meta-analysis. Urban Climate, 31, 100547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2019.100547

Yoeli, E., Budescu, D., Carrico, A., Delmas, M., Deshazo, J., Ferraro, P., Forster, H., Kunreuther, H., Larrick, R., Lubell, M., Markowitz, E., Tonn, B., Vandenbergh, M., & Weber, E. (2017). Behavioral Science Tools to Strengthen Energy & Environmental Policy. Behavioral Science & Policy, 3, 69 - 79. https://doi.org/10.1177/237946151700300107