News & Comment

Behavioral economics plays a key role in explaining the lack of current climate action and in facilitating effective future interventions. For instance, it can help us evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of policy instruments and institutions, understand the effectiveness of “hard” and “soft” interventions, and estimate pro-environmental preferences. In this editorial, we provide examples for some of the contributions of behavioral economics to the study of climate action and review the eight studies published in this collection. These studies introduce “social tipping points”, study related aspects of international organizations, explore the relationship between pro-environmental behaviors and individual well-being, investigate the effect of “Veggie Days” on emissions in German university cafeterias, test whether an intervention can increase the adoption of certified solar devices for refugees in Uganda, conduct a systematic review and a meta-analysis of public support for carbon pricing policies, examine arguments for and against the use of pricing instruments to mitigate emissions, and analyze social media communications of three groups of stakeholders.

This editorial examines the intricate landscape of local climate action in Latin America. It explores the interplay between local initiatives, global agendas, and the potential for innovative and anti-systemic approaches. The paper recognizes the constraints faced by local actors, including limited capacity and the complexities of action, highlighting their differences and complementarity. Furthermore, this editorial underscore the role of local climate actions in challenging the dominant neoliberal global order, particularly through grassroots efforts prioritizing sustainability and equity. These initiatives offer alternative socioeconomic models and reframe issues beyond climate change, addressing broader challenges like inequality and resource depletion. In navigating these complexities, the editorial emphasizes the need to combine both localization and local climate actions, demanding inventive methods for progress measurement and support. It sets the stage for a topical collection that dissects local climate action in Latin America and its critical role within the global climate change agenda, and national policies.