Reviewing key building blocks of an integrated carbon footprinting and consumer purchases' monitoring & reward system - interaction with the consumer - Climate Bonus project report (WP4)

This report is the third in a series of reports produced by the Climate Bonus study. In this project is surveyed what are the possibilities and effectiveness of the combined use of (1) verified carbon footprints (possibly visualised through labels), (2) personalised monitoring and feedback services to households regarding the greenhouse gas intensities of their purchases, (3) a reward system (bonuses) for consumers who manage to reduce the embodied emissions, and (4) a secondary reward system for retailers that successfully reduce the emission intensity of their sales. This third report deals with systematic information provision to households regarding the emission effects of their purchases. More in particular it reviews options and effectiveness of product information provision, monitoring of consumer activities and feedback to consumers. Next to a theoretical review it also discusses how consumers have reacted in various policy experiments in Finland and elsewhere. Also the developments in attitudes and levels of awareness and knowledge regarding climate change among Finnish consumers are summarised. In addition it provides an overview of theoretical and practical insights regarding the recommended features of consumer information, such as product labels. Last but not least the report discusses the pre-requisites and the eventually chosen specification of the reward (bonus) system for households.