(17 September 2015) – La Fabrique Ecologique and Futuribles International conducted a study on “nudges”, an innovative but still largely unknown tool.
To promote behaviour change, governments have traditionally relied on four different approaches: information and awareness raising, financial incentives, legislation (ban or obligation) and demonstration. But these four approaches have had limited success in promoting responsible consumption.
A fifth approach, known as the ‘nudge’ has recently been gaining attention however.
This concept was coined by Cass Sunstein (lawyer) and Richard Thaler (economist) in 2008 and is based on the principle that behaviour change cannot be achieved through coercion or punishment, but through mechanisms (nudges) that encourage and make it easier for people to voluntarily change their behaviour.