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ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Green defaults can combat climate change

Increasing the uptake of green energy use by households and businesses is a key step toward reducing environmental harm and combating climate change. In a new paper, Liebe et al.1 show that a non-monetary intervention can have massive effects on green energy consumption, leading to substantial reductions in carbon emissions.

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References

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Correspondence to Cass R. Sunstein.

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Sunstein, C.R. Green defaults can combat climate change. Nat Hum Behav 5, 548–549 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01071-2

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