Save A Tree or 6 kg of CO2? Understanding Effective Carbon Footprint Interventions for Eco-Friendly Vehicular Choices

From ride-hailing to car rentals, consumers are often presented with eco-friendly options. Beyond highlighting a “green” vehicle and CO2 emissions, CO2 equivalencies have been designed to provide understandable amounts; we ask which equivalencies will lead to eco-friendly decisions. We conducted five ride-hailing scenario surveys where participants picked between regular and eco-friendly options, testing equivalencies, social features, and valence-based interventions. Further, we tested a car-rental embodiment to gauge how an individual (needing a car for several days) might behave versus the immediate ride-hailing context. We find that participants are more likely to choose green rides when presented with additional information about emissions; CO2 by weight was found to be the most effective. Further, we found that information framing—be it individual or collective footprint, positive or negative valence— had an impact on participants’ choices. Finally, we discuss how our findings inform the design of effective interventions for reducing car-based carbon-emissions.