The FT recently lamented Europe’s growing increase in SUV sales – spurred in part by misplaced European incentives that provide more lenient emissions targets for heavier cars, but also potentially due to a perverse network effect; other people having tall SUVs make you want to have one too. You get a better view and are less likely to be squashed in a pile up.
In response, a letter to the editor proposes a delightfully simple solution that seems worth exploring – ‘shame’ badges:
European governments could enact a simple law to require cars to display a badge indicating the emissions from their vehicle. These could be colour-coded, prominent, and placed on the rear of the vehicle so that emitters would be especially visible — including to inquisitive children and grandchildren — when sitting in traffic jams. Humans care more about relative status than anything else. That will not change. It is both what led to the climate change crisis and how we might solve it.
Andrew Oswald, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science,
University of Warwick, UK. (letter to the Financial Times, November 12, 2019)
This solution would have the advantage of harnessing two emotional beasts, shame and teenage-outrage. At a time when the economics profession is in disrepute, Professor Oswald should be praised for his insight, clear thinking and brevity.
Picture credit: Samuel Foster on Unsplash
