Social Psychology of Sustainability

Social Psychology of Sustainability

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Social Psychology of Sustainability

In the 1960s, the world’s population was around 3 billion people. By 2011, the population had risen to 7 billion. Currently, the population is around 7.9 billion peopleADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”0066-4308″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Evans”,”given”:”Gary W”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Annual review of psychology”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2019″]]},”page”:”449-474″,”publisher”:”Annual Reviews”,”title”:”Projected behavioral impacts of global climate change”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”70″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=1fac70f0-94b4-4c4d-8bce-8360e937a8f4″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Evans, 2019)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Evans, 2019)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Evans, 2019)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Evans, 2019). Accompanying the increase in population has been global climate change which is majorly characterized by global warming. As a result of climate change, glacial cover, ice sheets, sea ice, and snow cover have been reducing. On the other hand, humidity, temperatures over land, sea surface temperatures, poleward migration of species, and shifting of tree lines have been increasingADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”1433810662″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Doherty”,”given”:”Thomas J”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Clayton”,”given”:”Susan”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”American Psychologist”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”4″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2011″]]},”page”:”265″,”publisher”:”American Psychological Association”,”title”:”The psychological impacts of global climate change.”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”66″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=77df5c62-314d-4d18-b6ba-f5429e7e971d”]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Doherty & Clayton, 2011)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Doherty & Clayton, 2011)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Doherty & Clayton, 2011)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Doherty & Clayton, 2011). The concept of climate change has attracted a lot of attention because of its effect on the planet’s sustainability. As a result of the relevance of climate change as a topic, various models have been used to study it and record findings in scholarly literature. One important model is the psychological model. Social psychology defines how social relations, social influence, and social thinking can be used to explain perceptions about climate change, effects of climate change, and reactions by human beings to mitigate climate change.

Although climate change has been proven through research, the perceptions of human beings about it tend to be biased. The general population tends to be familiar with the concept of global warming and climate change. However, their belief in its existence and extent greatly varies due to personal experiences and availability heuristicsADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Leiserowitz”,”given”:”Anthony”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Smith”,”given”:”Nicholas”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Marlon”,”given”:”Jennifer R”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Yale University. New Haven, CT: Yale Project on Climate Change Communication”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2011″]]},”title”:”American teens’ knowledge of climate change”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”5″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=84bedd9f-da67-4d49-bfda-156ab86029d6″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Leiserowitz et al., 2011)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Leiserowitz et al., 2011)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Leiserowitz et al., 2011)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Leiserowitz et al., 2011). When the population is experiencing fair weather or cold temperatures, they tend to perceive climate change as an existent-phenomena or having very little impact due to its slow rate. However, individuals’ perceptions dramatically shift when they experience extreme weather conditions such as extreme temperatures or increased flooding. Therefore, the phenomena of climate change seem more real when people can directly perceive the effects.

When individuals experience the effects of climate change, they tend to react in certain ways. This means that their reaction to climate change can be explained from a psychological perspective. One of the consequences of climate change is the displacement of communities. Displacement can occur due to sudden events such as floods which force people to evacuate from their places of residence. When such events occur, the culture of communities is greatly affected. Because people have unique ties with their place of origin and communities, their identity is also affected by displacementADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”0036-8075″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Sherbinin”,”given”:”Alex”,”non-dropping-particle”:”De”,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Castro”,”given”:”Marcia”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Gemenne”,”given”:”Francois”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Cernea”,”given”:”Michael M”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Adamo”,”given”:”Susana”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Fearnside”,”given”:”P M”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Krieger”,”given”:”Gary”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Lahmani”,”given”:”Sarah”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Oliver-Smith”,”given”:”Anthony”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Pankhurst”,”given”:”Alula”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Science”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”6055″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2011″]]},”page”:”456-457″,”publisher”:”American Association for the Advancement of Science”,”title”:”Preparing for resettlement associated with climate change”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”334″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=c63bbed2-5d0d-46a7-a17e-d53b1662b323″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(De Sherbinin et al., 2011)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(De Sherbinin et al., 2011)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(De Sherbinin et al., 2011)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(De Sherbinin et al., 2011). For example, extreme weather conditions, especially in third-world countries, can lead to an influx of refugees in neighboring countries. These refugees tend to live in camps where they receive support in terms of food aid. However, the camps tend to be unorganized and without a social structureADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”0887-6185″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Clayton”,”given”:”Susan”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Journal of Anxiety Disorders”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2020″]]},”page”:”102263″,”publisher”:”Elsevier”,”title”:”Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”74″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=fe0ccd74-56a7-4792-acc2-d86db8e716e7″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Clayton, 2020)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Clayton, 2020)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Clayton, 2020)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Clayton, 2020). The people living in such conditions are forced to survive every day of their lives. Living in such conditions, therefore, becomes very traumatic.

While some individuals experience trauma, others result in conflict and violence. There is a significant body of research that has shown a correlation between violence and high temperatures. This correlation is evidenced by higher aggression, violence, and assaults rates during warmer years, warmer cities, and warmer seasons. In some cases, the conflict begins during an extremely hot season and continues for several months or years. An example of this can be seen in third-world countries, especially in the sub-Saharan region, whose communities depend on pastoralismADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”0022-4537″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Schmitt”,”given”:”Michael T”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Neufeld”,”given”:”Scott D”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Mackay”,”given”:”Caroline M L”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Dys-Steenbergen”,”given”:”Odilia”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Journal of Social Issues”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”1″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2020″]]},”page”:”123-135″,”title”:”The perils of explaining climate inaction in terms of psychological barriers”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”76″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=745cf2ed-190c-4852-a79b-6766a2e995d6”]},{“id”:”ITEM-2″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”0146-1672″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Fischer”,”given”:”Ronald”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Vliert”,”given”:”Evert”,”non-dropping-particle”:”Van de”,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin”,”id”:”ITEM-2″,”issue”:”8″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2011″]]},”page”:”1031-1041″,”publisher”:”Sage Publications Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA”,”title”:”Does climate undermine subjective well-being? A 58-nation study”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”37″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=65f2770c-2a6d-4ee5-b5f6-9049f4929773″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Fischer & Van de Vliert, 2011; Schmitt et al., 2020)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Fischer & Van de Vliert, 2011; Schmitt et al., 2020)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Fischer & Van de Vliert, 2011; Schmitt et al., 2020)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Fischer & Van de Vliert, 2011; Schmitt et al., 2020). The conflicts usually start due to increased competition for scarce resources such as watering points for their animals and grazing fields. When such conflicts are not successfully resolved, violence ensues, sometimes necessitating the intervention of the local authorities or even international parties. Early intervention may prevent the emergence of an expensive civil war occurring during periods of hardship.

To avoid such consequences, the global community is responsible for contributing to a sustainable future by checking climate change. This responsibility can only be achieved when individuals play their roles. However, studies have shown that commitment to action is heavily influenced by comprehensionADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”0887-6185″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Clayton”,”given”:”Susan”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Journal of Anxiety Disorders”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2020″]]},”page”:”102263″,”publisher”:”Elsevier”,”title”:”Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”74″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=fe0ccd74-56a7-4792-acc2-d86db8e716e7″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Clayton, 2020)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Clayton, 2020)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Clayton, 2020)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Clayton, 2020). For individuals to commit to a sustainable future, they must comprehend what climate change is and the effects of climate change. Comprehension makes belief possible. It is only after individuals believe the existence of climate change that a shift occurs from understanding climate change as a concept to accepting climate change as a real phenomenon with real consequences. After believing, individuals need to constantly remember the truths and facts about climate change and its effects on sustainabilityADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”1935-990X”,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Nielsen”,”given”:”Kristian S”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Clayton”,”given”:”Susan”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Stern”,”given”:”Paul C”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Dietz”,”given”:”Thomas”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Capstick”,”given”:”Stuart”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Whitmarsh”,”given”:”Lorraine”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”American Psychologist”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”1″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2021″]]},”page”:”130″,”publisher”:”American Psychological Association”,”title”:”How psychology can help limit climate change.”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”76″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=06a31bbb-c7c2-47c4-ad0d-7ecf0c7d9af4″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Nielsen et al., 2021)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Nielsen et al., 2021)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Nielsen et al., 2021)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Nielsen et al., 2021). Remembering ensures behavior is modified. For example, when an individual chooses to cycle to work, it begins with comprehending the effect of burning fuels on the environment, believing that carbon emissions are harmful to the environment and personal responsibility to sustainability, and the ability to constantly remember so that they can choose cycling instead of driving every time the opportunity presents itself.

There are various ways human beings have attempted to mitigate climate change to contribute to a sustainable future. One of the ways that this has been achieved is through the use of technologies or unconventional technologies. For example, the recent past has seen a shift from bulbs that use filaments to bulbs that use light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The shift in technology is considered to be more efficient in terms of reducing energy consumption. This is an attempt to reduce climate change since energy production is one of the contributors to global warming. The use of unconventional technologies refers to applying existing technologies in new waysADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”0022-4537″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Schmitt”,”given”:”Michael T”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Neufeld”,”given”:”Scott D”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Mackay”,”given”:”Caroline M L”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Dys-Steenbergen”,”given”:”Odilia”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Journal of Social Issues”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”1″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2020″]]},”page”:”123-135″,”title”:”The perils of explaining climate inaction in terms of psychological barriers”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”76″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=745cf2ed-190c-4852-a79b-6766a2e995d6″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Schmitt et al., 2020)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Schmitt et al., 2020)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Schmitt et al., 2020)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Schmitt et al., 2020). For example, the concept of solar energy is increasingly being integrated as one of the main sources of energy. Electric cars are also being produced and utilized at greater frequencies as compared to the past.

Psychology can also be used in the mitigation of climate change. The principle of choice architecture suggests that people make choices based on the choices suggested to them. Even though human beings may feel as if they have control over their choices, the choice architecture theory suggests that human beings will choose choices based on the choices presented to them have been presented to them. The choice architecture theory utilizes the assumption that human beings are rational because they tend to make decisions that either maximize pleasure or reduce pain. Therefore, when one choice appears more costly than another available option, individuals tend to choose the least costly one. The choice theory can be applied by setting taxes high for fuel and reducing the taxes for the supply of bicyclesADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”0887-6185″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Clayton”,”given”:”Susan”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Journal of Anxiety Disorders”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2020″]]},”page”:”102263″,”publisher”:”Elsevier”,”title”:”Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”74″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=fe0ccd74-56a7-4792-acc2-d86db8e716e7”]},{“id”:”ITEM-2″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”0066-4308″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Evans”,”given”:”Gary W”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Annual review of psychology”,”id”:”ITEM-2″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2019″]]},”page”:”449-474″,”publisher”:”Annual Reviews”,”title”:”Projected behavioral impacts of global climate change”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”70″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=1fac70f0-94b4-4c4d-8bce-8360e937a8f4″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Clayton, 2020; Evans, 2019)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Clayton, 2020; Evans, 2019)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Clayton, 2020; Evans, 2019)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Clayton, 2020; Evans, 2019). In such a situation, the high fuel taxes would discourage a portion from purchasing vehicles since they will not afford the high costs. On the other hand, more people might tend to buy bicycles because of increased affordability.

Other applications of choice architecture theory include city planning and policy formulation. City planning describes the positioning of infrastructure such as roads within a city. For example, some cities have roads with bike lanes, while others do not have lanes for cyclists integrated into the infrastructure. The result of such planning decisions is that those cities with lanes for cyclists tend to have less congestion by motorists due to the high number of people who commute through cycling. In contrast, those cities which do not have cycling infrastructure may force ore people to the default choice of doing nothing when confronted with a cycling decisionADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”0036-8075″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Sherbinin”,”given”:”Alex”,”non-dropping-particle”:”De”,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Castro”,”given”:”Marcia”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Gemenne”,”given”:”Francois”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Cernea”,”given”:”Michael M”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Adamo”,”given”:”Susana”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Fearnside”,”given”:”P M”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Krieger”,”given”:”Gary”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Lahmani”,”given”:”Sarah”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Oliver-Smith”,”given”:”Anthony”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Pankhurst”,”given”:”Alula”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Science”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”6055″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2011″]]},”page”:”456-457″,”publisher”:”American Association for the Advancement of Science”,”title”:”Preparing for resettlement associated with climate change”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”334″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=c63bbed2-5d0d-46a7-a17e-d53b1662b323”]},{“id”:”ITEM-2″,”itemData”:{“author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Leiserowitz”,”given”:”Anthony”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Smith”,”given”:”Nicholas”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Marlon”,”given”:”Jennifer R”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Yale University. New Haven, CT: Yale Project on Climate Change Communication”,”id”:”ITEM-2″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2011″]]},”title”:”American teens’ knowledge of climate change”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”5″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=84bedd9f-da67-4d49-bfda-156ab86029d6″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(De Sherbinin et al., 2011; Leiserowitz et al., 2011)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(De Sherbinin et al., 2011; Leiserowitz et al., 2011)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(De Sherbinin et al., 2011; Leiserowitz et al., 2011)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(De Sherbinin et al., 2011; Leiserowitz et al., 2011). On the other hand, policies operate based on reinforcement and punishment models. To discourage the burning of carbon fuels, authorities may implement and enforce policies that charge congestion fees. Since charges are undesirable, people will avoid driving just so that they can avoid the charges. Choice architecture, therefore, has a very important application when it comes to the development of a sustainable future.

The provision of feedback can also trigger action to mitigate climate. When people consume energy, they usually receive feedback in terms of bills. However, the bills in themselves are not sufficient enough to motivate consumers to control their usage. Different elements can be added to make users more conscious about their usage. One way this can be achieved is through the provision of charts that compare usage among neighbors in terms of efficiency and the standards of the most efficient users. Since human beings tend to be competitive, when the goal is presented as being energy efficient, they will tend to make better choices in line with sustainable consumption of energyADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”0887-6185″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Clayton”,”given”:”Susan”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Journal of Anxiety Disorders”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2020″]]},”page”:”102263″,”publisher”:”Elsevier”,”title”:”Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”74″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=fe0ccd74-56a7-4792-acc2-d86db8e716e7”]},{“id”:”ITEM-2″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”0036-8075″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Sherbinin”,”given”:”Alex”,”non-dropping-particle”:”De”,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Castro”,”given”:”Marcia”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Gemenne”,”given”:”Francois”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Cernea”,”given”:”Michael M”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Adamo”,”given”:”Susana”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Fearnside”,”given”:”P M”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Krieger”,”given”:”Gary”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Lahmani”,”given”:”Sarah”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Oliver-Smith”,”given”:”Anthony”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Pankhurst”,”given”:”Alula”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Science”,”id”:”ITEM-2″,”issue”:”6055″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2011″]]},”page”:”456-457″,”publisher”:”American Association for the Advancement of Science”,”title”:”Preparing for resettlement associated with climate change”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”334″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=c63bbed2-5d0d-46a7-a17e-d53b1662b323″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Clayton, 2020; De Sherbinin et al., 2011)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Clayton, 2020; De Sherbinin et al., 2011)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Clayton, 2020; De Sherbinin et al., 2011)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Clayton, 2020; De Sherbinin et al., 2011). When feedback is provided, even simple rewards such as smiley emoticons for efficient users or frowning emoticons for users who have not met the sustainable goals can be a great psychological influence on sustainability.

The bottom line of sustainable decisions is realizing the collective identity of human beings and the need for their integration. Every person has an influence on another based on how they interact with the environment. When one country produces more pollutants and emissions due to loose regulations, the entire global population and ecosystem feel the effects. Understanding how individual actions affect others is crucial in influencing behaviorADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“ISSN”:”1935-990X”,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Nielsen”,”given”:”Kristian S”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Clayton”,”given”:”Susan”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Stern”,”given”:”Paul C”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Dietz”,”given”:”Thomas”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Capstick”,”given”:”Stuart”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””},{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Whitmarsh”,”given”:”Lorraine”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”American Psychologist”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”1″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2021″]]},”page”:”130″,”publisher”:”American Psychological Association”,”title”:”How psychology can help limit climate change.”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”76″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=06a31bbb-c7c2-47c4-ad0d-7ecf0c7d9af4″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Nielsen et al., 2021)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Nielsen et al., 2021)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Nielsen et al., 2021)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Nielsen et al., 2021). This principle makes the foundation of the sustainability concept. Sustainability as a concept is defined as the efforts by current generations to meet their needs without affecting the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This is because the current generation affects future generations, just like how one individual affects others in the ecosystem.

References

ADDIN Mendeley Bibliography CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Clayton, S. (2020). Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 74, 102263.

De Sherbinin, A., Castro, M., Gemenne, F., Cernea, M. M., Adamo, S., Fearnside, P. M., Krieger, G., Lahmani, S., Oliver-Smith, A., & Pankhurst, A. (2011). Preparing for resettlement associated with climate change. Science, 334(6055), 456–457.

Doherty, T. J., & Clayton, S. (2011). The psychological impacts of global climate change. American Psychologist, 66(4), 265.

Evans, G. W. (2019). Projected behavioral impacts of global climate change. Annual Review of Psychology, 70, 449–474.

Fischer, R., & Van de Vliert, E. (2011). Does climate undermine subjective well-being? A 58-nation study. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(8), 1031–1041.

Leiserowitz, A., Smith, N., & Marlon, J. R. (2011). American teens’ knowledge of climate change. Yale University. New Haven, CT: Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, 5.

Nielsen, K. S., Clayton, S., Stern, P. C., Dietz, T., Capstick, S., & Whitmarsh, L. (2021). How psychology can help limit climate change. American Psychologist, 76(1), 130.

Schmitt, M. T., Neufeld, S. D., Mackay, C. M. L., & Dys-Steenbergen, O. (2020). The perils of explaining climate inaction in terms of psychological barriers. Journal of Social Issues, 76(1), 123–135.