Scottish Government's current approach to changing climate behaviour

Ifezulike, Chizulum (2022) Scottish Government's current approach to changing climate behaviour. Fraser of Allander Economic Commentary, 46 (1).

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Abstract

Climate change is an accelerating global predicament that has caused repercussions in the rural and urban areas of Scotland. Forestry areas are experiencing an increased spread of pests such as ticks and urban areas are prone to serious flooding and storms (Adaption Sub-committee, 2011). The Scottish government (2020, p. 7) has established several objectives to address this dilemma, and one of Scotland’s commitments is to "Reduce emissions by 75% by 2030 (compared with 1990) and to net-zero by 2045." While it appears promising for Scotland to attain this target having hosted Cop26 in Glasgow, the Committee on Climate Change has estimated that more than 60% of emissions reductions to meet net-zero will need to come from a societal change in terms of behavioural patterns (Scottish Government, 2020, p. 22). Subsequently, there is a necessity for policymakers in Scotland to exploit behavioural economics to firstly comprehend individuals' and businesses behaviour in relation to the crisis, and successively drive the change required to meet climate targets. This essay will argue the government's current approach to changing behaviour which is the belief-attitude intention pathway model, while using a simple economic model to strengthen Scotland's policies and approach in response to the crisis.

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https://doi.org/10.17868/strath.00080202
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