Field interventions for climate change mitigation behaviors: A second-order meta-analysis

BACKGROUND:

Climate change poses significant threats, including extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, and adverse impacts on human health. Behavioral change is recognized as a crucial strategy for mitigating these effects, yet a comprehensive synthesis of interventions promoting pro-environmental behaviors in real-world settings is lacking. The findings aim to identify the most impactful strategies, such as financial incentives and social norms, providing actionable insights for future research and practice in climate change mitigation.

GOALS AND METHODS:

The study aims to evaluate the overall effectiveness of climate change mitigation interventions, compare the impact of different strategies, and determine which pro-environmental behaviors are most responsive to interventions. Using a second-order meta-analysis, it synthesizes data from 10 meta-analyses comprising 430 primary studies. Interventions included voluntary approaches such as financial incentives, social norms, education, and feedback, all applied in real-world settings. The analysis incorporated statistical methods to estimate effect sizes, assess publication bias, and identify moderating factors to provide robust, evidence-based recommendations for improving behavioral interventions.

CONCLUSIONS AND TAKEAWAYS:

The study concludes that interventions promoting pro-environmental behaviors are effective overall, with the most substantial impacts observed for strategies based on social comparisons and financial incentives. The findings emphasize the importance of targeting high-impact behaviors and designing scalable, evidence-based interventions to maximize their potential in mitigating climate change.