Attitude and behavior changes through (e-)participation in citizen panels on climate targets

Abstract

This chapter investigates attitudinal and behavioral impacts of (e-)participation in citizen panels collaborating with local governments in joint efforts to reduce CO2e emissions. The e2democracy (e2d) project studied seven participation exercises with largely identical objectives and organization (a combination of long-term individual CO2e footprint monitoring by the panelists, issue-specific information and events, and other opportunities for exchange over up to 2 years) in Austria, Germany, and Spain. In all panels, pro-climate awareness, attitude and behavior changes associated with the participation processes were observed, although to different degrees. In all but one region, the results showed a relatively strong positive link between attitude and behavior change. Attitudinal changes were greater than behavioral changes, which can partly be explained by the difficulties of changing social practices (e.g., nutritional habits) and local context conditions (e.g., transport options). An investigation of the causal mechanisms and mediating factors revealed moderate “gentle nudge” type effects from CO2e footprint monitoring among panelists in all three countries. While a direct effect of community feeling on behavior change was not confirmed, a number of community-related factors, such as social learning and the removal of personal barriers through community support were positively related to behavior change. One conclusion is that attempts to change individual behavior towards pro-climate lifestyles through individual information feedback are more effective when they are embedded in a participatory community context.