Climate policies that push people to change how they live, such as eating less meat, banning cars from city centres or cutting air travel, may weaken public support for climate action, according to a new study.
Research published in Nature Sustainability suggests that some policies aimed at changing personal behaviour can backfire if people feel they are being forced to comply. Instead of strengthening environmental commitment, such measures may erode people’s underlying “green” values and reduce support for other climate policies.
