TY - JOUR
T1 - Are subsidies for climate action effective? Two case studies in the Netherlands
AU - van Valkengoed, A. M.
AU - van der Werff, E.
N1 - Funding Information:
Study 2 was made possible by funding received from Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) to collect and analyze the data.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors
PY - 2022/1
Y1 - 2022/1
N2 - An often used policy instrument to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation action are subsidies. Yet, it remains unclear to what extent subsidies are effective in motivating behavioural change. Subsidies are effective if they lead to adoption of the behaviour by individuals different from those who would adopt otherwise. On the bases of two theoretical frameworks, we examine the effectiveness of two subsidy schemes in the Netherlands. In Study 1 (n = 151), we applied the Transtheoretical Model and argued that a subsidy for climate adaptation measures is effective if it not only attracts those in the action and preparation stages of the model, but also people in the precontemplation and contemplation stage. In Study 2 (n = 367), we applied the Diffusion of Innovations Theory and argued that a subsidy for electric vehicles is effective if it attracts not only innovators and early adopters, but also early and late majority adopters. In both studies, we examined the extent to which subsidies remove financial barriers and serve as a cue to action. In Study 1, we found that the subsidies primarily attracted people who were in the action and preparation stages. In Study 2, we found that a subsidy for electric vehicles did not attract more early and late majority adopters compared to those who adopted an electric vehicle without a subsidy. In both studies we found that the subsidy mainly served as a cue to action, and was less likely to remove financial barriers.
AB - An often used policy instrument to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation action are subsidies. Yet, it remains unclear to what extent subsidies are effective in motivating behavioural change. Subsidies are effective if they lead to adoption of the behaviour by individuals different from those who would adopt otherwise. On the bases of two theoretical frameworks, we examine the effectiveness of two subsidy schemes in the Netherlands. In Study 1 (n = 151), we applied the Transtheoretical Model and argued that a subsidy for climate adaptation measures is effective if it not only attracts those in the action and preparation stages of the model, but also people in the precontemplation and contemplation stage. In Study 2 (n = 367), we applied the Diffusion of Innovations Theory and argued that a subsidy for electric vehicles is effective if it attracts not only innovators and early adopters, but also early and late majority adopters. In both studies, we examined the extent to which subsidies remove financial barriers and serve as a cue to action. In Study 1, we found that the subsidies primarily attracted people who were in the action and preparation stages. In Study 2, we found that a subsidy for electric vehicles did not attract more early and late majority adopters compared to those who adopted an electric vehicle without a subsidy. In both studies we found that the subsidy mainly served as a cue to action, and was less likely to remove financial barriers.
KW - Climate action
KW - Diffusion of innovations theory
KW - Subsidy
KW - Transtheoretical model
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85118161410&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envsci.2021.09.018
DO - 10.1016/j.envsci.2021.09.018
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85118161410
SN - 1462-9011
VL - 127
SP - 137
EP - 145
JO - Environmental Science and Policy
JF - Environmental Science and Policy
ER -