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on Resource Economics |
| By: | Anwesha Banerjee; Andrea Erhart; Claire Rimbaud |
| Abstract: | This study examines the pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors of individuals across different age groups. We compare young adults with older adults in an online experiment with German participants. We use an incentivized task - the Work for Environment Protection task (WEPT) - to measure environmental behavior. We find that compared to younger adults, older adults are more concerned and less skeptical about climate change. Older adults also exhibit significantly more pro-environmental behavior, reflected in higher participation in tasks associated with donations to an environmental organization. These results highlight the need to develop strategies to improve support for environmental policies specifically targeted to different age groups. |
| Keywords: | environmental behavior, environmental attitude, climate change, knowledge, age |
| JEL: | Q50 C91 |
| Date: | 2025–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:inn:wpaper:2025-05 |
| By: | Dhingra, Swati (London School of Economics); Kondirolli, Fjolla; Machin, Stephen (London School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | Diverting waste away from and zero waste to landfills are key sustainability policy aims of local and national governments around the world, particularly in countries with large waste footprints from rapid consumption growth and urbanisation. Segregation at the source of waste generation can offer a low-cost solution to urban waste footprints, yet segregation rates are low in many places, especially in the cities of developing economies. This paper studies a staggered randomised intervention offering training and education to citizens about waste segregation. Citizens in the city of Patna in India were given training on waste segregation at source, recycling and its environmental benefits in a large experimental intervention undertaken in collaboration with the city administration. Segregation-at-source increased substantially among households that received the intervention, and additional boosts to segregation arose from spatial spillovers, as the programme delivered at least a double-digit benefit-cost ratio. Citizen training, when effectively designed and implemented, does deliver a low-cost solution for the cities of developing countries to both reduce their waste footprint and enhance local environmental sustainability. |
| Keywords: | experimental intervention, citizen training, waste, spatial spillovers |
| JEL: | Q53 Q54 R11 |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18124 |
| By: | Esther Arenas-Arroyo (Department of Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business); Jacob Fabian (Market Development, ISO New England); Friederike Mengel (Department of Economics, University of Essex and Erasmus University Rotterdam); Bernhard Schmidpeter (Department of Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business); Michel Serafinelli (King's College London, ESCoE, RFBerlin, CESifo) |
| Abstract: | How does firms’ skill demand change as the business landscape evolves? We present evidence from the green transition by analyzing how hurricanes impact demand for green skills. These disasters signal the risks of not acting on environmental issues. Using data from U.S. online job postings (2010–2019) and hurricane paths, we create a new measure of green job postings. Firms in areas affected by hurricanes are 6.4% more likely to post jobs that require green skills after the event, particularly those serving local markets. |
| Keywords: | Green skills, Green transition, Online job postings, Hurricanes |
| JEL: | J23 Q54 L20 J24 |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwwuw:wuwp385 |
| By: | Gazze, Ludovica (University of Warwick and CAGE); Gupta, Tanu (University of Southampton Delhi); Huang, Allen (Weiyi) (St Hilda's College, University of Oxford); Londoño, Valentina (Universidad del Rosario); Saavedra, Santiago (Universidad del Rosario); Toma, Mattie (University of Warwick) |
| Abstract: | There is limited evidence on the non-health impacts of air pollution, including productivity in the workplace and behavior. We examine the effect of air pollution on participation, collaboration, and feedback provision in a workplace setting. Our experiment randomly assigns air purifiers to rooms at three large academic conferences to investigate the causal impact of air pollution on participants’ engagement behavior. We construct a participant engagement index based on 12 presentation-level behavioral outcomes directly measured by conference observers through an online form and weigh each behavioral outcome using weights elicited from an expert survey. Conference rooms treated with air purifiers exhibit 48% less PM2.5 concentration compared to control rooms. However, we do not find a statistically significant change in engagement. Communication in the workplace might not be a large driver of the empirical relationship between air quality and productivity, albeit more research is needed across workplaces and measures of communication. |
| Keywords: | Indoor air quality; Engagement; Workplace; Field Experiment JEL Classification: Q53, J24 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cge:wacage:773 |