New thinking on climate change policy and endogenous preferences

In this seminar, I will discuss the recent evidence of preferences being endogenous to policy instruments - covering both preferences over consumption and over policy options. I argue that taking account of all the ways in which consumption preferences are endogenous, there can be large effects for environmental protection. Endogenous preferences over policies tend to develop around belief in effectiveness, indicating that policy sequencing also matters at the level of citizens. I conclude that more research into the feasibility of policy options under the constraints of 'not-so-good governance' on preferences over policies - lower trust, erosion of civic society - is needed.