Encouraging the public to change consumption behaviors towards a net-zero sustainable lifestyle.

Elucidating human consumption behavior is the core of behavioral economics research. The UK Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), which specializes in this area, proposed the EAST structure to tune specific behaviors of the public. The structure suggests four simple ways to do so: “Easy (E)”, which means harnessing the power of defaults and reducing the “hassle factor” of taking up a service. “Attractive (A)” includes providing incentives and presenting novelty to attract attention. “Social (S)” encourages people to make a commitment to others, while “Timely (T)” can effective in changing behaviors.

To achieve our net-zero goals, a shift to sustainable behaviors is inevitable. It is not an impossible task. The government has the responsibility to lead these changes and continuously introduce effective policies to guide and support the development of enterprises in this area. Public consumption behaviors can be changed more expeditiously through products and services designed with the EAST structure and available digital technologies. These changes will move our society steadily towards the vision of a net-zero sustainable lifestyle and help us rediscover the balance of living in harmony with all life on Earth.