Helfen Ernährungstipps und Informationen über die Klimawirkungen des Fleischkonsums, diesen zu verringern? Experimentelle Evidenz für Deutschland
Diskussionspapier
Many people are not aware that meat consumption is responsible for a large proportion of food-related greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this, many people do not feel able to reduce their meat consumption. Against this background, we investigated the effectiveness of three randomized information interventions to reduce meat consumption, which were embedded in a panel survey of around 3,000 participants conducted in 2022. The information interventions consisted of three newsletters, which were sent to the participants by electronic message at intervals of around two weeks after the survey, while the control group did not receive any newsletters. The three newsletters for the first intervention group contained information on the environmental impact of meat, while the three newsletters for the second intervention group contained tips and recipes for reducing meat consumption. The three newsletters for the third intervention group consisted of a combination of both. Shortly after the third newsletter was sent out, the respondents' meat consumption was surveyed in a follow-up survey in the same way as in the first survey, when the respondents were asked to state their meat consumption for the period of four weeks before the survey. The empirical results based on one- and two-stage least-squares estimates and difference-in-differences methods indicate that information on the environmental impact of meat consumption and dietary tips had no significant influence on meat consumption in the short term, not even on the stated intention to reduce it. Presumably, therefore, longer-term interventions are needed to change known persistent behavior such as eating habits.